Falling Far From the Tree
by 554Laura
Summary: Agent James Aubrey deals with the return of his father into his life while he considers what he wants from his relationship with Jessica. A multi chapter Valentine's Day story for mphs95. A bit of angst at the beginning but things work out well eventually. Many thanks to FaithinBones for her excellent advice on the direction of this story. This story is AU. I don't own Bones...
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Surprise! It's me again, writing another Aubrey and Jessica story for mphs95's Valentine's Day fan fiction. I've embroidered a little bit on the episode that had Aubrey's father show up. I hope you like your story, mphs... 554Laura_

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It was a chilly January afternoon as James Aubrey strode down the street toward his favorite diner for lunch. He shivered slightly, buttoning his overcoat while he stood on the corner waiting for the light to change at the intersection. He'd found himself without a lunch companion today. Normally he'd have lunch with his partner, but today Booth had some sort of lunchtime budget meeting that all Special Agents in charge of departments had to attend. Aubrey's girlfriend Jessica had been at a forensics seminar in Germany for a few weeks. Dr. Fisher was the intern on rotation this week, and because Aubrey could only stand the man's bleak outlook on life in small doses, having lunch with him wasn't something Aubrey had considered seriously.

Shrugging slightly before he walked across the street, Aubrey chuckled softly to himself. Being concerned about having lunch with or without a companion was a fairly new occurrence for him. Before coming to work with DC Major Crimes division, he'd led a more solitary existence, having few close friends except for possibly his partner and maybe a casual girlfriend now and then. That all changed when he began to work with Special Agent Seeley Booth. It seemed that Booth had a tendency to sort of adopt the young agents he was mentoring, similar to how someone might adopt a stray puppy. Being Booth's friend as well as his partner meant that Aubrey was now considered part of the older man's family, with all the rights, responsibilities, and the many other friends that went along with it. That was a nice change after being without a real family for so long…

Sitting down at his favorite table, Aubrey watched the people passing by on the sidewalk as he waited for his order. It was a bluebird day...a bright, clear blue sky, and cool, crisp air, even with the abundant afternoon sunshine. Days like this always reminded him of his mother. She had loved this kind of weather. He smiled to himself as he thought of her perched in her favorite chair, sitting by the window that overlooked their backyard, her cat Cindy sleeping on her lap as she knitted scarves, hats, and socks for her friends and family. After his dad had left them to fend for themselves, there was very little money for extras, but she could usually scrounge enough change to buy a few skeins of yarn so she could stay busy on the weekends. _"Idle hands are the Devil's workshop, Jamie. I need something to do."_ He'd often thought she could sell the things she'd made, but she wanted to use her talents to show love instead of making a profit...the direct opposite of his old man.

Thanking Ellie as she brought him his lunch, Aubrey sighed as he poured some ketchup over his fries and added the onion and lettuce to his club sandwich. Munching on his pickle, he remembered how his mother had worked tirelessly after his father left them, usually holding down two jobs in addition to caring for her teen aged son. It wasn't until he was much older that Aubrey realized she had neglected her health to provide a college education for him. His mother had lived long enough to see him graduate from college, dying from cancer soon afterward. The harshest blow had been the doctor's statement that her condition might've been cured if she had only taken care of things earlier. However, she was too worried about the cost of the treatments, wanting instead to give her son the opportunity to go to Syracuse University. Even with all of his loans, grants, and scholarships, it was an expensive place for Aubrey to attend, but when he was accepted there, his mother had said there would be no sacrifice too great to make his dreams come true. Sometimes he wondered if it had been worth it, thinking that maybe he should've gone to a less expensive college, but that was all water under the bridge now. All he could do today was to use his expensive education to the best of his abilities. Eventually that might mean a political career, but right now it meant working with the FBI to bring criminals to justice...including his own father.

Aubrey thought over the new information Ms. Julian had given him as he ate another bite of his pie. His father was back in the country, and it looked like he might be on his way to DC. Aubrey had put on a brave face and assured Caroline that he would arrest the bastard again if the guy showed up, and he really believed that he could do it. Still...even though he hated what his father had become and how the son of a bitch had treated his mother, it was hard for Aubrey to ignore the occasional good memory that would intrude into his hatred from time to time. After all, at one time his father had been an honest man, and he'd had a good job as a stock broker until the addiction to playing the stock market took over his life. As much as Aubrey was loathe to admit it, he knew that his own personality was a combination of his father's charm and brilliant intellect and his mother's sense of truth and justice. Unfortunately, his mother hadn't been able to sway her husband toward the moral view of life. Phillip Aubrey lived by his wits, looking for any sort of plan he could find to make lots of money quickly, legal or not. The fact that he'd been caught bilking clients in a Ponzi scheme didn't deter him...the elder Aubrey had simply left the country without so much as a backward glance at his little family. Aubrey sighed quietly as he finished his coffee and got up to pay his bill. For some reason he'd never understood, his mother had made a conscious decision to forgive her husband, saying, " _Underneath it all, Jamie, I still think there's some goodness left in your father."_ Setting his jaw resolutely as he stepped out onto the sidewalk that ran in front of the diner, Aubrey shook his head. He'd never believe there was anything good left in the man, and he knew he'd never be able to completely forgive his father for the damage he'd left in his wake, no matter what his mother had said. The younger Aubrey was going to make sure his father got what was coming to him, even if it took years to do so.

Checking his watch, Aubrey figured he had a little extra time before he was needed back at the office, so he decided to take a short detour. He followed the sidewalk a few blocks past where he was supposed to turn to go to the Hoover, stopping in front of a small shop. He hesitated slightly before going in, feeling awkward and nervous as he ran this errand. Finally he pushed open the front door, the electric doorbell chiming to announce his presence. "Mr. Henry?"

A voice gravelly with age responded from the back of the store. "I'm back here. Who is it?"

"It's me...James Aubrey. You remember, right? I helped you with suggestions for the security of your store? I'm with the FBI." It felt silly to talk so loudly in an empty room, but the store's proprietor had yet to appear. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you about a piece of jewelry in one of your cases…"

"Okay. Just a minute." A slightly stooped man with thick gray hair came shuffling into the showroom. "Oh, yeah. I remember you…"

"I thought we'd agreed that you'd get one of those systems so you could unlock your front door when someone pressed the buzzer." Aubrey frowned slightly at the at the elderly man as he shrugged a shoulder toward the door. "And maybe a security guard…"

"Yeah, but I want my store to be a friendly place where people feel welcome to come and go as they please. Anyway, I hired a guard, but he's at lunch." Mr. Henry pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his nose and mouth. Seeing Aubrey's grimace the jeweler shrugged. "I was eating my lunch when you came in. I thought you wanted to see a piece of jewelry…"

"Oh...yeah...it's in this case over here." Aubrey tapped his fingers on the pane of glass covering the top of a large display case. "This ring right here…"

"That's a beauty, ain't it? I made that one myself." The store's owner pulled the slender yellow gold ring from the tray and handed it to his customer. The ring was studded with several small, sparkling diamonds set flush in the brushed metal on top of the band. Mr. Henry gave Aubrey a wink and a smile. "A nice ring for a lucky girl?"

Blushing slightly, Aubrey held the dainty band in his hand and turned it over, enjoying the way the gems glittered in the store's overhead lights. "Maybe. My girlfriend wears those latex exam gloves a lot and she says she doesn't like rings with big stones that stick up because they poke holes in them." He ran his thumb across the stones, noticing that they protruded slightly, but not enough to get caught on anything. "But I think this might work pretty well. It doesn't have a lot of places for dirt to get into the settings, either…"

"Your girlfriend...she's a doctor?" Mr. Henry watched as the younger man examined the ring closely. "Maybe she's gonna take the ring off when she works, right?"

"Well, I hope not." Aubrey grinned as he shrugged at Mr. Henry. "She's a forensic anthropologist interning at Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab right now. That's why I'm looking at something like this. It's narrow and flat, and maybe, if she wants, she can wear it under her gloves." He handed the ring back to the jeweler. "That's not the problem. The problem is that first I gotta get her to say yes, you know?"

"Oh, I see. You're shopping for Valentine's Day." Nodding, Mr. Henry smirked at his customer as Aubrey grinned sheepishly and jammed his hands in his pockets. "You want me to set this ring back for you? It's the only one I got like this." Seeing the fleeting look of panic cross Aubrey's face, the jeweler chuckled. "Look, I'll just take it out of the display case for awhile. No obligation, okay? It won't cost you a thing. That way maybe we can call it even for helping me with security, okay? And if you decide you don't want it, you can tell me, and I'll put it back in the case. Whad'dya say? You said it might work for your girl..."

Aubrey thought the man's suggestion over for a few seconds. "Yeah, that's a good idea. I should know what's gonna work out pretty soon...at least that's the plan…"

"No worries, son. If she's as smart as you say she is, she's gonna say yes." Mr. Henry took a small brown envelope from a desk drawer, and slipped the ring inside before sealing the flap. "It's Aubrey, right?"

"Yeah, James Aubrey." Grimacing nervously, he watched as the jeweler wrote his name on the envelope before locking it into the wall safe. Things were about to get very real very quickly. "You sure you don't want a deposit?"

"Nah. I figure you're good for it. I got nothing to lose. I just don't want you to be disappointed in case someone else should want the ring." Mr. Henry gave the safe's lock a spin before turning back to Aubrey. "Here's my card. Call me when you decide what to do."

"Thanks." Aubrey slipped the card in his wallet and smiled. "Thanks a lot. I appreciate it."

"Any time, Agent Aubrey. Just be sure to tell your friends about my store, okay? You can get personalized service here, unlike what you get at a big chain store." Mr. Henry winked at Aubrey as he gave him a thumbs up.

"You bet. Bye." Aubrey waved as he stepped out of the store and exhaled slowly. What did he just do? Did he actually pick out an engagement ring for Jessica? Jesus... His hands were trembling slightly as he reached to get his ringing telephone out of his pocket. "Aubrey…"

"Where the hell are you, Aubrey? Are you taking off for the rest of the day?", Booth growled. "I need you to get your ass to the office soon. It looks like we may have a case."

"I'm on the way back from lunch. I can be there in under ten minutes." Judging from Booth's tone, his meeting had caused him a great deal of annoyance. "I'm almost there."

"Well, hurry, alright? I'll meet you in the lobby downstairs." The phone clicked abruptly on the other end, signaling the end of the call.

Practically jogging now, Aubrey hurried toward the Hoover, smiling broadly as he went. Booth might give him a hard time for being late coming back from lunch, but he didn't care. It was definitely worth it to know that Jessica's engagement ring was waiting for him in Mr. Henry's safe.


	2. Chapter 2

A/ _N: I was in such a hurry to publish my first chapter that I forgot to say that mphs wanted a story about Aubrey's father returning and how it affects Aubrey and Jessica. Since that was the subplot to Tussle and the Tutor, I decided to take that episode as a starting point and add to it. I borrowed a few bits of dialogue from that episode, but the majority of the dialogue in this chapter is original with me. I hope that makes sense. Laura_

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James Aubrey and Karen Delfs were discussing their latest case as they got ready to leave the diner with their to-go coffee orders. Karen was still trying to get rid of the taste of her accidental sip of Aubrey's coffee. "Yuck! Caffeine much?"

"What? This is the sweet nectar of life!" He smiled as he took a drink from his cup. "I was up before dawn this morning skyping with Jessica, so I need a jolt of the stuff to keep me awake today. The six hour time difference between Germany and here makes it hard to find time for us to talk."

"Well, I'm jealous…" Karen grimaced as she realized she'd probably said the wrong thing. "...of Jessica's time in Europe, I mean. I went there right after I graduated after college, and let me tell you, it was cuh-ray-zy…oomph…" She bumped into an older white haired man who was coming into the diner. "Excuse me…"

The older man seemed to ignore Karen completely as he addressed Aubrey. "Hello, son. You look great. It's good to see you."

Aubrey stood looking at the man in stunned silence as a wave of nausea washed over him. He'd suspected his dad was going to try to see him when he arrived in DC, but it never occurred that it would be in such a public place. _The son of a bitch probably thinks I won't make a scene here._ "Uh, Karen? Can you give us a minute, please?"

Karen recognized the visitor from one of the files that had been found Frank Kwietowski''s office after his death. She glanced furtively at the two men, wondering how Aubrey's dad had known where to find his son. "Sure. I'll just meet you back at the office." She hurried out the door, leaving Aubrey and his father staring at each other in silence. Finally, Aubrey inhaled deeply, working hard to keep his composure as he set his coffee cup down on the diner's counter. "Why don't we just do this the easy way? Turn around and put your hands behind your back..." The agent reached into his pocket to pull out some handcuffs.

Scoffing, Phillip Aubrey smirked as he pushed past his son. "Come on, James. You're not going to arrest me right now. Anyway, we need to talk." He pointed at a table by the diner's front window. "Have a seat."

Horrified, Aubrey stared at his father in disbelief. "I can't sit down and have a meal with you like it's no big deal...not in broad daylight here in front of everybody. You're a wanted criminal, Dad...an escaped felon, and I'm an FBI special agent. I'm sworn to protect law abiding citizens from people like you! I can't afford to be seen fraternizing with a felon..."

"Give me a break, son. It's not like I'm John Dillinger or Al Capone, right? I'm not a murderer. I just took advantage of the greed and ignorance of average people and then taught them a lesson about who they could trust…" The older man chuckled as he shrugged at his son. "Listen, James. No one in this beanery knows who I am right now, unless you tell them, that is. As far as anyone knows, we're just two guys having a meal together. I'm not gonna ruin your fine reputation, G man. So have a seat and talk to your old man for a minute….I wouldn't bother you like this, you know, except that it's important..."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Aubrey realized he was actually curious about what his father might have to say that was worth his taking the risk of being arrested. Finally he sat down at the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "I can give you five or ten minutes, Dad. No more…"

"Mighty generous of you, son...mighty generous. I really appreciate that you can spare me a few precious minutes of your valuable time." His voice filled with sarcasm, Aubrey's father took a big drink of water from the glass Ellie had brought him and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before carefully studying his son. "It looks like Frankie was right about you." Phillip Aubrey grinned unpleasantly. "I suppose you know I was having him keep tabs on you for me, right? See, it was kind of like a surrogate father thing he was doing for me, making sure you were alright while you were all alone here in the big city. I wanted to see what you were up to, but I was indisposed and off the continent, as it were. Of course, you know all about that, right? But I have to agree with Frankie. It looks like you're doing well in your career with the Feebs." He paused as his son rolled his eyes. "I know you won't believe this, but it's true...I had him check up on you because I still care about my kid, okay? Anyway, it's like Frankie said...you really are walking the straight and narrow. Too bad you're not getting paid what you're worth…but that's what happens when you work for the feds instead of on Wall Street where you belong. You really should've followed in my footsteps, Jamie. You're smart enough, and people seem to like you. A little bit of training in sales and a few less morals and you'd have made a fortune in the market...but you just didn't have the stones, did you? Too much of a coward to take that risk..."

"You're wasting my time, Dad. I'm not interested in what Frankie had to say about me." Aubrey glanced at his watch before he glared across the table at his father. "You said you there was something important you needed to tell me, so let's hear it. I need to get back to work."

"It was a shame about poor old Frankie, isn't it? Gone too soon. He and I had a lot of laughs together over the years but you know what they say…" Phillip chuckled mirthlessly as he winked at the younger man across the table from him. "'Live by the sword, die by the sword…'." Laughing, the older man shook his finger at his son. "You like that? A Bible reference for my son, the Bible scholar. You spent every dime your mom ever made to go to college and study a book no one believes any more...a minor in religion to go with a worthless criminal justice degree. What a load of bullshit. Studying finance would've been a lot more practical, don't you think? You would've made a helluva lot more money than you make being a glorified cop."

Pushing his chair away from the table, the FBI agent decided he'd had enough. "So now you're going to use the Bible against me? You, who forgot that one of the Ten Commandments is 'Thou shalt not steal'? Or how about the one that says 'Thou shalt not bear false witness'? But the joke's on you, isn't it, Dad? You chose to ignore the right way to do things, and look at all the trouble that decision brought you and your family. At least you were able to find out from Frank that you and your criminal activities inspired me to do something good with my own life. After watching Mom deal with the fallout from your life's 'work', it made my choice of careers easy. I swore to myself I'd work to put people like you behind bars where they belong." Scowling, Aubrey drained his coffee cup and then crushed the styrofoam cup against the table. "Listen, this whole deal is making me really uncomfortable. I gotta go…"

"Wait just a minute, son." Phillip Aubrey took a set of folded papers from his jacket pocket. "Aren't you gonna tell me about your girlfriend? She's a cutie...she's got a nice figure, doesn't she? And I love that red hair…"

"You leave Jessica out of this." The younger man spoke loudly enough that the other diner patrons turned to stare. Dropping his voice to a hoarse whisper, Aubrey spoke with a cold fury obvious to even the most casual listener. "You stay away from her, Dad. I mean it. I love her, and I don't want her mixed up in whatever fuckery you happen to be involved in now…"

"Aww, that's really cute, Jamie...are you serious about her? Probably wanna get married and all that middle class shit, right?" Getting no real response from his son, Aubrey's father tried again to provoke him. "Finally found someone who doesn't mind you being a mama's boy, huh? I always knew that crazy woman I was married to would make you a weakling..."

"You have no right to mention my mother...you left her high and dry with no support, Dad, and she did a helluva good job raising me by herself. She gave up her health, and probably even her life, to put me through college after you left us with nothing, so shut your goddamn mouth!" Aubrey stood up, looking down on his father with disgust. "I have to go back to the Hoover. Some of us have honest work to do…"

His father reached over and put his hand on his son's wrist. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Listen, son, don't leave yet. I know I sound bitter, but I really do have something important to tell you…" The older man took a photograph out of his jacket pocket and set it on the table, smoothing out the slightly creased corners. "See the boy in this picture? He's your half brother, Mrislav. He's six." Seeing the younger man's incredulous expression, Phillip nodded. "Yeah, I was as surprised as you are, but I'm really his father. I'm trying to raise enough money to bring him and his mother, Sonja Kovacs, to the States. Things aren't good for them there in Croatia…they're living in poverty there since she has no one to support her. Sonja and I never got married because I wasn't sure if your mother was alive. I never tried to contact your mom after I left this country. I didn't want the feds to think she was an accomplice in my Ponzi schemes..."

James looked at the picture of the small blue eyed boy standing with a woman who was obviously his mother before handing it back to his father, shaking his head in disgust. "You're a real piece of shit, aren't you, old man? Bad enough that you abandon my mother and me and flee this country, but then you do it again? You father a child and leave him and his mother in poverty with no support in Croatia? What is wrong with you, Dad? Don't you have any sense of honor or responsibility?"

"Don't preach to me, boy!" Phillip Aubrey glared at his son. "It was an accident, okay? I never dreamed I'd be able to father another kid at my golden years, but there you are...I'm still virile in my old age. I guess that's good news for you and your girlie, Jessica. You'll be able to tickle her fancy for many years…"

"I told you to shut the hell up about Jessica." Aubrey's angry growl was enough to get his father's attention. "I don't want you to even say her name again, do you understand?" Glaring at his father, Aubrey picked up the crumpled cup. "I wish I could say it's been good talking to you, Dad, but I'm no liar. I have to go back to work. Don't bother trying to get in touch with me again."

Phillip Aubrey was not about to give up so easily. Holding up the picture so his son could see it, Phillip began again in a wheedling tone. "Listen, James, I need at least five thousand dollars to bring them over here. I know you think you may have a reason to be angry about me having another woman after your mom, but think about that little boy, alright? Do it for him. I don't have enough money to do this by myself, okay? I just need a little bit of help...maybe three thousand dollars? Can't you help me somehow, son? A thousand? Any little bit would do some good..." The older man tried to look contrite as he begged for money from his son.

Pausing, James Aubrey hesitated as he thought over the situation his father had laid out for him. "I don't know, Dad...I just don't know. I need to think about things...but I have to go. Goodbye…"

"James…" Phillip Aubrey added an extra note of pleading to his voice. "...c'mon, son...he's your little brother…don't you want to help out your little brother? Here, take the picture and think about, okay?"

"I have to go." The younger man snatched the picture from his father's hand and walked away from the table before turning to speak to his father again. "Remember...I'll be watching you, Dad…"

"Yeah. I'll remember. When you finally get over yourself and your precious law and order reputation and decide to help your poor little brother, leave me a message at my hotel. I'm staying at the Days Inn over on Grand Avenue. I'm registered as Phil Silvers." Phillip watched as his son left the diner and quickly walked away in the direction of the Hoover. Smiling to himself, he took a bite of his sandwich. His son had always been overly emotional, much to Phillip's disgust. James had always been about truth and doing the right thing, just like his mother, and right now that mindset might just be useful to help Phillip get what he wanted from another easy mark, even if that mark was his own flesh and blood.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: a little bit of spice in this chapter..._

* * *

Aubrey groaned as he rolled over in his bed, checking the time on his bedside clock. It was 4:47 AM, and Jessica would be calling from Heidelberg, Germany in a few minutes. Thoroughly exhausted, he inhaled deeply as he lay back on his pillow with his arm behind his head. With everything that had happened the day before, he hadn't slept well. The discussion he'd had with his father kept replaying in his head, as did Karen's comment later that afternoon about his strained relationship with his father. Aubrey knew the situation with his dad wasn't his fault, but it still bothered him enough to make him restless through the night as he tried to decide what to do next. He had to talk to Booth first thing today and tell him what happened at the diner, hoping that waiting until this morning to share the news that his father was actually in DC wouldn't injure his standing with his mentor. After getting that bit of information out in the open, he and Booth could formulate plans for arresting Phillip Aubrey and getting the bastard off the streets for good.

Turning the facts over in his mind, James tried to figure out why his father had tried to insinuate himself back into his life. There seemed to be no reason for it except that his dad needed money...enough money to bring his second family to the US...or so his father said, but even then there was reason to be suspicious. Booth had several contacts over at the State Department, and maybe one of them would be able to find out if someone had applied for visas for Mrislav and Sonja Kovacs so they could enter the country. If the truth were to be told, James Aubrey might've been happy to have a younger brother under different circumstances, but as it was, it was more likely to be just another one of his father's schemes to bilk someone out of some hard earned cash.

Surprised at the stray tear that trickled down his face, Aubrey quickly wiped it away. He didn't want Jessica to know that he was upset. With her being out of town, they didn't get to talk as much as they normally did, and the few minutes they had together were too important to be wasted on a no good bastard like Phillip Aubrey. He didn't want any hint of sadness to creep into their conversation.

The phone on the nightstand chimed, indicating a text message had arrived. Checking it quickly, Aubrey grinned to himself as he read Jessica's message.

 _Let's skype. I want to see the handsome face that goes with that sexy voice…_

He responded quickly. _Excellent idea. Give me a minute to get my laptop…_

 _Okay….five minutes, starting now…._

Jogging into the living room, Aubrey found his laptop and returned to his bedroom, turning on the lamp next to his bed before accessing the link. "Are you there yet?" A big grin spread over his face as he saw the image of his favorite redhead fill the computer screen. "Hey, babe…"

"Hey, Superman. Miss me?" Jessica arched her eyebrow as she gave him a flirty grin.

"More than I can say, darlin'. I can't wait for you to get home. So what did you learn at school today? Anything exciting?" Aubrey leaned back against the headboard with his computer on his lap. "I hope you're learning enough to make this two weeks you've spent away from me worthwhile…"

"James, are you jealous of the University of Heidelberg? It's a very prestigious university, and being accepted to take even a short term class here will be an impressive addition to my resume." Jessica giggled at her boyfriend's pouty face. "I've learned a lot about the factors that can affect the rate of bone calcification, but it doesn't make it any easier for me to be away from you. There...happy now?"

"Sort of. Are you still planning to come home this weekend? That might make me happier…"

"That's the plan, Superman..."

"Good!" He wore an impish expression as he continued. "Hey, where do you want to go for dinner on Valentine's Day? There's no place to good for my girl, you know? Anyway, I should look into making reservations. Maybe that new seafood place you were telling me about? What was it called? Oh yeah, Neptune's Table..."

"Thanks for suggesting that, but honestly, I don't really want to go anywhere for Valentine's Day except to your apartment." Jessica smiled as she saw Aubrey's happy grin. "Why don't you get some thick steaks to broil and we can have a nice quiet evening at home...well, maybe not quiet, but you know what I mean…" She gave him a sassy wink as she continued. "Maybe you should plan to call in sick on the fifteenth, too. I think you're going to have to stay in bed all day, aren't you?"

"Yeah, you're right. I'm probably coming down with something." Aubrey pretended to cough and sneeze before laughing at her suggestion. "The only problem is that after we spend a day in bed together like that I may really need another day to recuperate…"

"I won't mind...I'm sure I can help you with that." Jessica stood up from her desk and carried her laptop over to her bed. "Hey, have I shown you this part of my dorm room? I lie here every night and think of you…" Sitting on her bed with her computer perched on her lap, Jessica pulled her tee shirt over her head. "In fact, I'm getting ready for bed now…" After shaking her hair free from her ponytail, she reached behind her back and undid the clasp on her black satin bra, throwing it aside with a dramatic flourish. "That's better...I'm much more comfortable now." She held her laptop at the proper angle for her boyfriend to get the best view of her breasts. "What do you think?"

"God, Jessie…", Aubrey groaned as he saw a picture of his half naked girlfriend filling up his computer screen. "I just want to reach out and touch you...you're so beautiful…" He shifted in his bed as he felt himself becoming aroused as he watched her move around on her bed. "Now what are you doing?"

"Well, the skin on my breasts is really soft, so I'm stroking them gently just like you do when we make love...look...my nipples are getting all hard and really pink just because I'm thinking about you kissing them, Superman...and the way you touch me right here…and right here..." She rubbed her fingers across her crotch. "It just makes me crazy, you know? And I miss that, being so far away from you..."

"Yeah, I know...it makes me crazy, too…seeing you like this, but not actually being there with you...it's so hard…" Aubrey's breathing became more ragged as he watched Jessica undress for him. God, how he wanted to get his hands on her, watching intently as she slithered out of her jeans and panties and then sat on her bed with her legs slightly apart, giving him yet another very pleasant view of his girlfriend.

Jessica set the laptop on her bed so Aubrey could see more of her body. "Oh, I know how hard you are, Aubrey, and it's all for me, right? I wish I could feel you inside of me right now...I'm aching for you…" Jessica closed her eyes as she lay back against her pillows and bent one of her legs at the knee before reaching down to stroke herself gently. "I'll just touch myself here and pretend it's you touching me...oh, that feels so good...talk to me, James...tell me you love me...please…whisper to me like you do when you make love to me..."

Watching and listening as his girlfriend pleasured herself was almost more than Aubrey could stand. He turned on his side, placing the laptop on the bed next to him. "You know I love you, Jessie...you know I do. My fingers are aching to touch you...to make you beg for more...oh, God, Jessica…" He palmed his arousal through the fabric of his boxers, speaking words of love softly to his girlfriend. "I wish I could be there with you, or have you home with me. I can't get enough of you, Babe…I want to bury myself in you...to lose myself in you..." He was panting now, watching as she arched her back in pleasure while he spoke. "Let go for me, Jessica...c'mon...that's it...that's my girl…" He shuddered with ecstatic pleasure as he heard her call out his name when she achieved her release. He fell back on the bed, resting quietly for a few minutes as his breathing rate returned almost to normal. "Oh, yeah, Jessica...God, that was great...almost as great as if you were here with me."

"Yeah, Superman...that was awesome." Jessica smiled at the computer monitor. "Now I really can't wait to get home…"

"Me, neither. Hey, wait a minute…" Aubrey propped himself up on his elbow as he spoke to the picture on his computer screen. "Did we just have sex via skype?"

Jessica sighed happily. "It would appear so, Aubrey…modern technology is a wonderful thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. Thank God for modern technology." Aubrey chuckled as he reached up and turned off the lamp. "I love you, Jessica, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Good night…sleep well."

"I love you, too, James. Be careful at work today, and I'll talk to you soon. Have a good morning…"

"I will. Love you...Bye…" After shutting down the skype program, Aubrey lay back on his bed, drowsy and thoroughly relaxed. He glanced at his phone...5:45 AM. He figured he could get in a bit more sleep before he had to get ready for work. He set his phone alarm for 7 AM and closed his eyes, happily drifting off to sleep.

Oooooooooo

With all the flashing lights and pounding noise, things were absolutely crazy. There were police officers everywhere, swarming around the diner like angry ants around a ruined anthill. People were shouting orders as a crowd of customers poured from the restaurant and onto the street, trying to dodge the cars that were speeding by. Aubrey came running up the sidewalk to stand by Booth. "What happened? What's going on?"

"It looks like a hostage situation. I've already called the HRT for back up. It's your dad...he's in there, Aubrey, and he's got Jessica with him." Booth pinched his lips together as he tried to control his anger. "Dammit, why didn't you tell me your dad was in town? I could've stopped the bastard from doing something like this…"

"Let me go in and talk to him, Booth. He's a son of a bitch, but I can't believe he'd actually hurt Jessica…" Aubrey moved toward the door. "He probably just wants me to give him some cash and then he'll go away…"

"Don't go in there, Aubrey, and that's an order. He's got a gun…" Booth reached out to pull on Aubrey's arm. "I know you think you can talk him down, but remember, the FBI doesn't negotiate for the release of hostages. You should've arrested your dad yesterday when you had a chance…"

"I was going to, Booth, but…" Their conversation was interrupted by a loud crash as a chair came flying through the picture window, shattering the glass in what looked to be a million tiny shards on the sidewalk in front of the diner. Phillip Aubrey stood angrily looking out of the empty window frame, an arm around Jessica's chest and holding a gun to her head.

"Let me go without any trouble, or the little girl gets it…", the older man growled. "You should've arrested me yesterday when you had the chance, James. I always knew you were a loser…you're just worthless chicken shit, ain't ya? Too afraid to do the right thing..." Phillip Aubrey's words were cut short as a shot echoed from a rooftop across from the diner. Jessica was screaming, her clothes covered with the blood of a dead man.

"James...James, what did you do? Why didn't you arrest him? You said he was an evil man, James…" Jessica stumbled out of the diner, walking a few steps before collapsing on the sidewalk.

"Jessica! Oh, my God...Jessica!" Aubrey ran to her, trying to rouse her as he knelt next to her. He turned to Booth, begging for help. "We need an ambulance!"

"Too late for that, Aubrey." Booth was glaring scornfully at Aubrey, staring down at his partner with his hands on his hips. "You should've done the job you were sworn to do. You should've arrested your old man when you had the chance. Turn around and put your hands behind your back. James Aubrey, you're under arrest for impeding a federal investigation and aiding and abetting a known criminal. The fact that those actions lead to the murder of Jessica Warren means you're going away for a long time…"

"No! I didn't do those things." Aubrey watched in panic as the EMTs covered Jessica's body with a white sheet. "I didn't mean to hold out on you! I was gonna tell you, Booth...I was! Jessica, you can't be dead...you're in Germany...Jessica! Booth, I wanted to turn in my dad. I did! But he told me some things and I had to check them out...I was gonna tell you all about it today. Please listen to me, Booth. I was gonna tell you first thing this morning..."

Booth's face was grim as he hustled Aubrey toward the back seat of the SUV. "Too bad you didn't do the right thing yesterday, Aubrey. You could've saved us all a lot of grief. Let's go."

"No...I can't. I didn't do it on purpose." Aubrey started running...he ran as fast as he could, but he was caught by two burly police officers. He tried to raise his arms against them, struggling to free himself from the handcuffs, but they dragged him back to the car. "Let me go. I need to see Jessica again. Let me go…" The sirens were blaring as more police officers arrived. "Let me go…"

Aubrey's eyes flew open as he realized his phone's alarm was going off. Flailing around in his tangled sheets, he gasped for air as he tried to regulate his breathing, wiping the perspiration from his face with the sleeve of his tee shirt. He glanced around his darkened bedroom, trying to get his bearings. He was at home alone, in his own bed, at 7 AM. He was nowhere near the diner. It had all been an awful nightmare.

Moving to sit on the edge of his bed, Aubrey wiggled his toes slightly as he tried to clear his foggy mind. He was at home…he was okay. Jessica was safe in Germany. It was all just a bad dream. Aubrey was going to get dressed and go straight to Booth's office as soon as he arrived at the Hoover. Cringing as the nightmare replayed itself in his mind, Aubrey tried to recite the alphabet backwards from Z as he stripped the sheets from his bed. He counted backwards from 100 to 1 as he took his shower, but the image of Jessica lying under that sheet refused to leave his brain. Aubrey had to talk to Booth right away….he had to tell Booth the truth immediately. He knew he couldn't let things eat at him any longer. It was time to take the bull by the horns, no matter the cost.


	4. Chapter 4

James Aubrey waited impatiently for the elevator to reach the parking garage level, tapping his foot as he watched the numbers change above the door. Tugging at his shirt collar a bit and smoothing his tie as he yawned, he tried to ignore how tired he was. He'd had a quick bowl of Cap'n Crunch cereal before he left home, in a hurry to get to work so he could tell Booth everything he knew about Phillip Aubrey's arrival in DC. Normally he'd have his regular three egg and cheese omelet for breakfast, but he was too nervous this morning to be very hungry. He glanced at his watch as he waited, wanting to be a few minutes early so he could make sure he personally told Booth what had happened yesterday at the diner before the Special Agent in Charge heard it from someone else...namely Karen Delfs. _Why is that damn elevator taking so long to get down here…._

Finally the chime sounded and the elevator doors opened. Boarding the elevator with several other agents headed for the fourth floor, Aubrey silently ran through his story again, and he still wasn't satisfied. He'd talked to his father early in the afternoon yesterday, but, for some reason that he couldn't quite fathom, he hadn't said anything to Booth about it. Sighing softly, he shook his head at how crazy the whole damn thing was, wishing his father would just sort of disappear without initiating any further contact, but he knew that wasn't likely to happen since the man had said he needed money. Hopefully, Booth would understand his predicament. Seeing his father at the diner had caught Aubrey completely off guard, and it seemed that all of the training he'd received at Quantico had flown out the window, along with most of his common sense. It might be a lame excuse, but unfortunately it was the only one he had available at this point in time.

The elevator finally stopped at the fourth floor. Aubrey stepped off and walked quickly over to Booth's office, only to find it darkened and the door closed. "Hey, Hanson." Aubrey spoke to one of the agents in the bullpen. "Where's Booth? I need to talk to him this morning."

"Oh, hey, Aubrey. Booth had to sit in on some meeting with Director Stark...some sort of personnel issue. Didn't you get his text? He said something about sending you one…"

Pulling out his phone, Aubrey scrolled through his messages until he found the text from Booth.

 _Something came up. You and Karen go to the school. Lunch at the diner...noon?_

"Great. Just great.", Aubrey muttered under his breath. "Can't find a cop when you need one, right? Thanks, Hanson."

"Yeah, no problem." Hansen hesitated for a few seconds before laughing nervously. "Hey, can I ask you a personal question, Aubrey?"

Somewhat surprised, Aubrey shrugged. "Sure, I guess so. What's up?"

Hansen grinned slightly as he anxiously checked his fingernails. "You know that profiler you work with? Ms. Delfs? Are you two...you know...are you guys an item?"

"Um, no...not in the least." Aubrey chuckled as he playfully punched his coworker in the arm. "You sly dog. Are you interested in Karen?"

"Well, Valentine's Day is coming up, you know, and I thought maybe I might like some company…and she's sorta cute." The men stopped talking suddenly as Karen came bouncing happily toward them.

"Hi, Aubrey. I got a text from Booth. He wants us to go talk to the director of the tutoring company this morning…"

"Yeah, I got the same text. Hey, Karen...have you met my buddy Art Hanson?" Aubrey nodded toward his fellow agent. "Art, this is Karen Delfs, profiler extraordinaire. She and I are gonna go do some work on a case, but we should be back around noon. I think Art wants to know what profiler does, Karen. Do you think you can help him out with that?"

"Oh, absolutely." Karen flashed a bright smile at the stunned and embarrassed Agent Hanson. "Why don't we have lunch together this afternoon...is the Founding Fathers okay with you? Profiling can be fascinating…I really love explaining my work to the agents I work with..."

Aubrey smiled to himself. Having Karen interested in someone else romantically would definitely ease his mind when it came to his relationship with Jessica, and it might also give her something to think about besides running into a wanted felon at the diner yesterday afternoon. "That's a great idea, Karen. I'm sure you two will have a lot to talk about. Well, let's go so we can get back in time for our lunch meetings."

"Okay, good. See you at noon, Agent Hanson." Karen gave the agent a sly wink and a coy little wave as she and Aubrey walked toward the elevator, leaving Hanson to wonder if he should thank his fellow agent or curse at him.

Oooooooooo

"How did it go at the tutoring offices, Aubrey?" Booth ate a few french fries from his plate. "What did you find out?"

"There's what appears to be blood on the stairs going up to the floor where the offices are. I think someone, probably the decedent, fell down the stairs...or maybe he was pushed. Either way, it appears that someone must've hit the stairs hard to have left that amount of blood spatter, which seems to suggest that whoever fell was probably severely injured, if not killed, in the fall. We're gonna have the techs go out and check the crime scene again…" Aubrey took a sip of his water. "We also brought in Amy Bryan, the director of the center, for questioning, but she won't talk to us until her lawyer gets to the Hoover. The attorney said that'll take at least an hour until she can get away from court, so you might as well take your time and enjoy your lunch." Aubrey paused and took a deep breath. "Listen, Booth…I need to talk to you about something..." Booth interrupted his partner, looking toward the restaurant's entrance hopefully as he heard the diner's doorbell ring

"Oh, hey, there's Bones." Booth smiled as his wife came to join the agents, leaning over to give her a kiss as she sat down at the table next to him. "How are things at the lab?"

"Things are fine. It seems we've done as much as we can on the case for now." Brennan smiled at the waitress as she ordered a salad. The waitress then turned to Aubrey expectantly.

"What can I get for you today, Agent Aubrey? The usual? A double meat and cheese burger with fries and a shake? Or we have a nice French dip sandwich today if you're in the mood for something different..." Ellie held her pencil over her pad, waiting to take his order.

Handing Ellie the menu, Aubrey shook his head. "Nothing for me, thanks." He shrugged his shoulder when he saw the looks of concern on the faces of Booth and Brennan. "What? I'm not hungry, that's all." His companions communicated their mutual surprise with a speculative glance at each other. Something was very wrong with their normally voracious friend if he was refusing to eat anything.

Brennan cleared her throat and giggled nervously as she told Booth and Aubrey about how she'd recorded the characters' voices for her new version of the audio book. She replayed the recording and they all laughed, trying to keep the various topics of conversation light and steering away from anything related to their case. When Brennan's meal came, Aubrey got up to leave.

"I've got an errand to run before I head back to the office. I'll see you later, Booth." Smiling at Dr. Brennan, he continued before turning to leave. "Good luck on your recording, Dr. Brennan. Bye."

After the younger man left, Brennan turned and looked at her husband in surprise. "What do you think is wrong with Aubrey, Booth? Since I've known him, I can't remember a time when he wasn't hungry. Do you suppose he's had a disagreement with Ms. Warren? Although, since she's presently in Germany that might be difficult...I suppose they could argue via computer, but…"

Booth smiled as he reached over to clasp Brennan's hand. "I think things between Aubrey and your squintern are just fine. I'm pretty sure something else is bothering him…"

"You know what it is, don't you? What's bothering Aubrey?" Brennan smiled at Booth. "Or is that just your gut talking?"

"It's not my gut. Let's just say I got some information from a little bird…" Booth sipped his coffee as he arched his eyebrow at his slightly bewildered wife. "Listen, Aubrey is gonna be okay, Bones. He's just got some things to work out for himself, but he will, and he'll be stronger for it." Booth chuckled as he patted Brennan's knee. "So...have you given any consideration to my suggestion for our Valentine's Day celebration?"

"Yes, I've given it lots of thought. I think it's an excellent idea, even though Valentine's Day is really a very silly holiday."

"It may be silly, but it's also lots of fun." Booth poured catsup on the last of his french fries. "I'll take care of the arrangements, okay?" He glanced at his watch. "Do you have time to go talk to Amy Bryan with me? I'd like that a lot…"

"Of course." Brennan took a last bite of her salad. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

Oooooooooo

Aubrey stood across the street from Mr. Henry's jewelry store, watching for a few minutes as a few patrons ambled in and out of the small shop. His original plan had been to purchase the ring that was presently locked in the store's safe so he'd have it in his possession this weekend when Jessica came home from her trip. He'd wanted to propose on Valentine's Day, but now, with everything that had happened, he wasn't so sure that was actually going to occur as planned. There was still a distinct possibility that he'd be severely reprimanded or even put on suspension without pay for failure to report his contact with a known felon. Staring down at the dry brown remnants of weeds poking through the cracks in the sidewalk, Aubrey wondered how he'd ever be able to face his girlfriend if that happened. Aubrey knew that Jessica loved him, and that she'd continue to love him no matter what, but the thought of disappointing her when she discovered he'd made such poor choices in regard to his career made him almost physically ill.

Finally Aubrey nodded resolutely as he started across the street. Phillip Aubrey would no longer be able to manipulate the things that affected his son's life. He would no longer have control over what his son said or how his son felt about things. He would no longer be able to prey upon his son's emotional well being. James Aubrey had experienced more than enough of that shit to last a lifetime, and he refused to let that sort of intrusion occur again. Over the years, Agent Aubrey had been subjected to embarrassment and grief because of his father's illegal and immoral actions, but no more. Aubrey wasn't going give in this time. He wasn't going to allow his father ruin the joy and happiness he'd found with Jessica. He was going to buy that ring, and he was going to propose marriage to his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately, Aubrey's bravado ran out of steam as he reached the door of the shop. _Jesus, what the hell am I doing? Buying a ring and proposing marriage to a free spirit like Jess...that's just crazy…_ He hesitated slightly before walking into the store. _It's not too late...I could walk away and call Mr. Henry later to tell him I've changed my mind about that ring…_

Standing there outside the store for a few seconds, Aubrey debated with himself. He loved Jessica, and she loved him, and nothing, or no one, would be able to change that, least of all his father. It was time to stand firm...to prove that was true. He turned the doorknob and slowly walked inside the store. "Mr. Henry? I'm here to buy that ring that you've been keeping for me in your safe. The name's James Aubrey."

"Ah, yes. Agent Aubrey..." Mr. Henry smiled slyly. "So she said yes, did she?"

"Not yet...I mean, not in so many words, but I don't think it'll hurt to have something to help her make her decision, do you?" Aubrey winked at the elderly man as he stood at the counter. "Here's my credit card. Ring it up, okay? I don't wanna have time change my mind again..."

"Here you go, Agent Aubrey...a beautiful ring for your beautiful fiancee. By the way, if she decides she wants a plain band for a wedding ring, let me know, and I'll design one to go with that ring."

"That's a good idea. Thanks." After a bit of aimless chitchat, Aubrey said his goodbyes as he put the ring in his jacket's inner breast pocket. "I appreciate all your help…"

"No problem. Congratulations. I hope you two will have many happy years together." Mr. Henry smiled broadly as he shook Aubrey's hand.

"Yeah, so do I. Thanks again." Aubrey left the shop, patting down the jacket pocket to make sure the ring was still there. Smiling to himself, he felt light on his feet as he almost danced down the sidewalk so he could return to work. If everything went according to his plan, by this time next week, Special Agent James Aubrey would be engaged to marry Ms. Jessica Warren.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: some of this dialogue was borrowed from the episode The Tussle in the Tutor._

* * *

Later that afternoon Agent Aubrey walked toward Booth's office, determined to talk to his partner about what had happened at the diner the day before so he could finally have some peace of mind. He met Booth in the hall as the older man was on the way to the break room. "I need a cup of coffee, Aubrey. I'll meet you in my office. Hey, you want one of those fancy lattes you like so much?"

"No, thanks." Aubrey went into the office and took a seat, fidgeting with his tie as he waited for Booth to return. He grabbed a file from the desk and began looking through it when Booth strolled in carrying his coffee mug and a plate filled with a big slice of chocolate cake.

"Hey, Aubrey, didn't anyone tell you there's cake in the breakroom? Look at that, huh?" He passed the plate under Aubrey's nose. "Smells great, doesn't it? I think it's homemade…"

Aubrey shook his head as he flipped through the papers in the folder. "Nah. I'm okay."

Shocked, Booth almost dropped the cake plate on the chair next to his partner. Placing the plate and cup on his desk, he turned, hands on hips, and glared balefully at the younger man. "Okay, that's it. What the hell is wrong with you? Come on…" He paused, tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for an explanation. "Let's hear it…"

It was obvious Booth was not going to let this problem stick around any longer, much to Aubrey's discomfort. Pretending to concentrate on the page he looking at in the file, he shrugged off Booth's demand for an explanation. "Okay, look. I don't want this to interfere with work…" Aubrey was clearly embarrassed as he thumbed through the folder. "...but you know my dad's back in the country, right?"

Booth nodded as he picked up a pile of folders from his desk and sat in the chair next to Aubrey. "Yeah, I know. We got people out there looking for him right now…"

"I know you do. It's on my mind, that's all." Aubrey sighed as he picked up another folder. He dreaded telling Booth what he knew, but it had to be done…

The two agents discussed their present case for a few minutes, trying to figure out who had used the sawed off shotgun that had served as the murder weapon, but Aubrey was only halfway listening, trying to find the opening where he could tell Booth what had been bothering him. As much as he dreaded Booth's reaction, he dreaded not knowing the consequences of withholding information from Booth even more.

Booth looked through the papers in his folder before clearing his throat softly. "You know, my old man...he was a real piece of shit…"

"Yeah. He drank, right?", Aubrey commiserated, shaking his head as he thought once again about all the pain and suffering Booth had been through as a kid.

Booth nodded as he studied the file. "Yeah, he drank and he beat the shit out of me and my brother 'til Pops took us in…"

"I guess neither one of us drew very well in the fatherhood lottery." Aubrey glanced at Booth, picking up another file folder and wondering how his mentor could be so calm as they discussed his terrible childhood.

"Well, you know, with my dad, he died a while back. I never got the chance to really confront him...to tell him how I really felt about what he did to us, you know, man to man." Booth glanced at Aubrey to see if he understood before looking through the next folder on his stack.

Aubrey inhaled sharply. "Look, Booth, let's just suppose that I know where my dad…"

Shaking his head, Booth held up his hand to interrupt his partner. "Stop talking. I don't want to know right now..." Seeing Aubrey's surprised expression, Booth continued. "All I'm saying is when we do bring your dad in, maybe you'll get a chance for some closure."

"Closure would be good, you know? That way, maybe I could shut the door on that part of my life and get ready to finally move on to something better…" Aubrey looked through another file, deciding to change the subject to something less personal. "Jesus...sawed off shotguns may be illegal but that doesn't stop people from using them, does it?"

"Nope. People seem to use whatever's handy. Well, what do we have here. A witness was able to describe a guy who robbed a convenience store, threatening the clerk with a sawed off shotgun. Here's the sketch...look like anyone you know?" Holding up the picture for Aubrey to see, Booth gave him a sly grin.

"That guy looks a lot like the victim's roommate, doesn't he? I guess we'd better go pick him up for questioning. What do you think, Booth?" Glad for a change of scenery, Aubrey stacked the files back on Booth's desk.

"Yeah, you're probably right, but give me five minutes." Booth used his fork to gesture at the slice of cake on his plate. "I wanted to finish this before you figured out there was still cake in my office. In the interest of maintaining a professional attitude, I don't want to whip your ass in front of everybody for trying to steal my cake."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Aubrey stood up and smoothed the front of his tie. "I guess I better go check out the break room to see if there's any cake left. I'll be ready to go in about ten minutes, okay?"

"That'll work. Ten minutes." Booth smiled to himself as he watched Aubrey leave, clearly relieved that the younger man had chosen to do the right thing when it came to turning in his father. Based on the surveillance team's reports, Booth knew approximately where Phillip Aubrey was, but the agent also needed to know that his partner would tell him the truth even when things got rough. Pleased that his little experiment had worked, Booth put the disposable plate and fork in the trash can before grabbing his jacket, phone and keys. The arrest of Aubrey's dad could wait a day or two while they closed this murder case, and Booth's team would make sure they kept a close eye on Phillip Aubrey's movements around town. Booth knew his partner would want to be there when they took his dad in, and he was damn sure going to do everything he could to make that happen.

oooooooooo

A pensive Aubrey watched the cars and buildings go speeding by as he sat on the passenger side of Booth's SUV, musing about the scene that had occurred in Booth's office. It appeared that Booth had known about the impromptu lunch meeting with his father the day before and had been waiting for him to bring it up. Was Booth testing him? Maybe so...and it seemed like maybe he'd passed the test. After all, he still had a job, and there'd been no mention of suspension or letters of reprimand being put in his personnel file. He was curious about how Booth had known what was going on...about how much Booth actually knew...but then he realized Booth probably had surveillance teams out scouting for Phillip Aubrey. Caroline had made sure Booth had the same information she'd given him on his dad's movements, just in case Aubrey caved in to his dad's demands…

The younger agent coughed softly. "So my dad said he needs money to bring his girlfriend and his illegitimate son to the US from Croatia.", Aubrey began. "That's what he wanted to see me about. The boy's name is Miraslav Kovacs and the kid's mother is Sonja..."

"What do you think? Was he telling the truth?" Booth glanced over at Aubrey, who shrugged off the question.

"I don't think my dad has told the truth once in the last twenty years, but since there might be a minor child involved, I guess I should check into it…"

"Okay, tell you what. Let me call Alex Radziwill over at the State Department and have him look into it...see if any visas have been applied for...stuff like that. Will that help?"

"Yeah, that'll be great. Thanks." Shifting in the car's seat, Aubrey remembered he still had the ring he'd bought for Jessica in the inner pocket of his suit coat. He smiled to himself as he patted his chest. She'd be home in a couple of days...he needed to get busy with the plans for his Valentine's Day surprise.

Booth snickered softly as he glanced at Aubrey. "Checking your pulse there, Aubrey?"

"What?" Slightly embarrassed at being caught, Aubrey cringed as he looked down at his hand. "Oh...It's nothing...just a little heartburn…"

"Heartburn when you didn't eat any lunch? Right…" Booth pursed his lips and arched his eyebrow at his partner. "You know what I think? I think you've got a little goody for Ms. Warren tucked away in your pocket there. Something for Valentine's Day, right?"

Aubrey bit his lip, hoping he wasn't blushing. "Well, yeah. I got her a little something…" Desperately wanting to change the subject, Aubrey cleared his throat. "What's going on with those Flyers, Booth? They looked pretty awful against the Capitals the other night…"

"The Flyers have a sorry coach, I think. Anyway, you don't get to change the subject that easily. What do you have planned for your big day? Dinner and a movie?" Booth checked his rearview mirror. "One of those fancy pigeon dinners at the Indonesian restaurant?"

"Nah. When I talked to her last night, she said that since she's been out of town so much, she just wants to have dinner at home." Aubrey tried to stifle his grin as he remembered what else had happened during the rest of their chat. "I'm gonna broil some steaks, and maybe a lobster tail or two, and we'll have a nice romantic evening. What about you and Dr. B?"

"I've got something planned for the two of us...a little day trip, you know?" Booth smirked, trying to look innocent as he sipped from his travel mug. "Did I see that you're taking a vacation day on the day after Valentine's Day?"

Aubrey exhaled slowly, knowing he couldn't hide anything from Booth. "Yeah, well, Jessica's been gone for a few weeks now, and we wanted some time to catch up…"

"And to celebrate your engagement." Booth laughed out loud at Aubrey's shocked expression. "C'mon...of course I know what's going on. I didn't get to be Special Agent in Charge just because of my great personality. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on between you two."

Aubrey turned and stared out the passenger window, wanting to avoid Booth's exultant expression at figuring out his plans. "I want to ask her to marry me, you know? I went at lunch today and got her engagement ring." He paused, shaking his head. "I don't have any doubts about it, except...I wonder if it's fair to her to drag her into all the drama with my dad. I mean…" Aubrey sighed as he looked over at his partner. "...what if I turn out to be a bum like my old man? Maybe I'll get elected to the Senate and become involved in some sort of graft or political corruption or something like that. You know that expression? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree? I could turn out the same way as my dad, and I'd never want to hurt Jessica by putting her through shit like my dad piled on my mom. Anyway, Jessica knows about my dad's history, and she says it doesn't matter to her, but still..."

Booth rolled his eyes in exasperation as he interrupted the younger man. "Seriously, Aubrey? You're planning on arresting your father for his crimes, and you're afraid you're actually gonna turn out to be like him?" Realizing that he might sound angry, Booth puffed out a sigh. "Listen, I've been there, you know? I spent a long time in my younger days trying to make sure I wasn't my dad instead trying to make sure I'm the man I really am. All the bad things our fathers did...they don't have to turn us into bad guys, too. We have a choice...we can be the good guys, and that's exactly who we are, okay?" Booth shrugged as he checked his mirrors again. "Anyway, from what I can tell, you've fallen pretty far away from that tree. You're nothing like your old man. Your values are totally different from his. Bones and I see that, the people who work at the FBI and the lab see that, and you can bet Jessica sees it, too. So no more selling yourself short, okay? If you're not sure you're ready to get married yet, that's fine, but don't give your dad any more power over your life. Don't let him influence that important decision one way or the other. He doesn't deserve that amount of respect from you any more, alright?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Aubrey began. "I don't want him in my life any more. It's my decision to make...mine and Jessica's…"

"Of course, I'm right." Booth gave Aubrey a smug smile. "So you're gonna pop the question on Valentine's Day? And then take off the next day to recover from the celebration that evening? Are you sure one day's gonna be enough?" Laughing at Aubrey's glare, Booth continued. "Well, you can't take off too long anyway. Gotta save some vacation days for the honeymoon."

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, Booth. She's gotta say yes before we can even think about that kind of thing…" Aubrey tried hard not to grin as he continued. "I mean, I'm pretty sure she's gonna be agreeable, but you know how unpredictable these smart women can be…"

"Oh, I definitely know that." Booth nodded as he parked the SUV. "Okay, I won't say anything until you come back to work after the fifteenth. How about that? Will that work?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Aubrey smiled to himself as he thought about dinner on Valentine's evening. Booth was right. Phillip Aubrey would no longer affect his life. His father had lost that privilege years ago. This decision would be his...and Jessica's...and he was looking forward to a positive outcome.


	6. Chapter 6

It was 5 AM when Aubrey's phone rang. He groaned softly as he groped for it among the assorted objects that littered his night stand. "H'lo?", he mumbled. "Oh, hey, Jessie…"

"Hey, Superman. Sorry to wake you…" Jessica laughed as she imagined her boyfriend rubbing his eyes groggily and scratching his belly as he tried to wake up. Her Superman was not normally a cheerful person in the morning, and she loved knowing that he was waking up a few hours early just to talk to her because he missed her so much.

He smiled as he heard her giggle on the other end of the line. "No, you're not sorry. If you were, you'd just send me emails instead of running up all the roaming charges on your phone by calling me every morning, right? I really don't mind all that much, but I gotta say I'm gonna be really glad when I don't have to wake up before dawn just to talk to my girlfriend."

Jessica laughed merrily. "And I'll be glad that I won't have to stay up so late just to talk to you. How was your day today?"

"Oh, it was alright, I guess." Aubrey paused, wanting to make sure he didn't give too much away about his little Valentine's Day errand. "We still don't have a solid lead on the killer, but we've eliminated several suspects, and that's a good thing. How was your day?"

"Oh, you know, more dull lectures on bone calcification before I take the exam to get the course credit." Jessica paused, and Aubrey could imagine how she looked as she wrapped a strand of dark red hair around her finger while she thought about her class. "I think the exam is gonna be a killer, and I'm a little worried about it. Our professor is really good, but there are so many details to remember. I hope I didn't waste all my time over here…I'd hate to fail this course after all that work..."

"Come on...you're gonna do fine. You've worked with Dr. B for what...almost two years now? You know how to be detail oriented…and she recommended you for the course, right? She wouldn't have done that if she hadn't thought you were capable of passing it. So just relax, alright? Do your best, and then come straight home to me. No more extra sightseeing, okay?" Aubrey shifted the phone to his other hand as he lay with his arm behind his head. "Do you want me to pick you up at the airport Sunday?"

"I'd like that." Jessica frowned a bit as she listened to her boyfriend natter on about Skinner's latest adventure with the new catnip mouse. She wasn't sure why, but Aubrey just didn't seem like his normal happy self. "It sounds like the toy mouse got the better end of that deal." After a slight pause, she tried to press for details. "Are you sure everything is going well, Superman? You sound a bit...off."

Aubrey sighed, knowing he was busted. It appeared he wouldn't be able to hide things from Jessica any more than he could hide things from Booth. "Yeah, well, maybe so...I guess you remember that Ms. Julian said my dad was on his way to DC, right?"

"Yes." A few seconds of silence elapsed. "Oh, no...James…", Jessica gasped. "Did he do something to hurt you...or to hurt your career?"

"No, not yet. It's just that I ran into him at the diner yesterday afternoon. He said he wanted me to give him some money to bring his new girlfriend and their child to the United States…" Aubrey cleared his throat softly. "And we talked for awhile about stuff, and he told me where he was staying, but I haven't arrested him yet…"

"You haven't arrested him? I don't understand." Jessica's tone indicated her confusion. Aubrey sighed again as he thought about the worried look that was probably on her face at the moment.

"I tried to...I really did...but instead, because he said he wanted to discuss something important with me, I talked to him for a few minutes, but he really pissed me off, you know? After all these years of being on the run, the only reason he wanted to see me was to get some money from me. He pretty much told me that I was a loser since I was working in law enforcement instead of doing something in finance or playing the stock market...that I'd never amount to anything worthwhile, and then, to top it off, he asked for some money to bring his illegitimate son and the boy's mother to this country from Croatia. I was about to lose my temper, but I didn't want to make a public scene, you know? I didn't want any news headlines saying 'FBI agent assaults old man in restaurant', so I got up from the table and walked away from him so I wouldn't beat the shit out of him. I really wanted to wipe the snarky grin off his face, Jessica. Anyway, I left the diner so I could calm down, and it wasn't until later in the day, when I was more rational, that I realized I should've hauled his ass off to jail."

"But, Aubrey, what about Booth? Does he know?" Trying to quell her feeling of panic over what she considered a terrible mistake, Jessica exhaled slowly. "Have you told Agent Booth what happened?"

"It was kind of strange, you know?" Aubrey hesitated slightly, trying to figure out how to explain the rest of the story. "I think somehow Booth knew what happened with my dad, but instead of going ballistic on me for not making the arrest, he waited for me to bring it up in conversation. He wanted to know if I'd tell him the truth, I guess. When I tried to tell him about knowing what my dad was, he said he didn't want to know everything yet, because we'd have to act on it right away. He wants me to be able to help bring my old man in so I can maybe tell that bastard what I think of him and get some closure…" Aubrey sniffled a bit as he inhaled deeply. "I'm gonna be able to tell my dad to get out of my life forever, if that's what I want…"

"Is that really what you want, James?", Jessica asked softly. "Do you want to cut ties with him completely?"

"Not really, I guess, but I think it has to be done. I mean, I guess most people hope that they can maintain a good relationship with their parents no matter what...but in the long run, for my own peace of mind, I've got to completely end my contact with him so I can move on with my own life. I can't give him any more of my time or energy if I want to be truly happy. All he does now is drag me down to his level, and I don't want to be down there anymore." Aubrey paused slightly before deciding to take a leap of faith. "I'd rather spend my time and energy on my relationship with you, Jessica. I love you so much, and I don't want anything to spoil what we have together..."

"I don't want anything to ruin it, either, James. I love you, and I'll support whatever decision you make about what happens between you and your dad. I want you to be happy. And James?"

"Yeah?" Aubrey heard the surprising intensity in his girlfriend's voice.

"You know that I love you, right? And nothing that your father does or doesn't do is going to change that, okay? You're not responsible for whatever evil he's done in his life, and you need to let that burden go."

"So you don't believe that old saying that goes 'like father, like son'?" Aubrey held his breath for a few seconds, hoping for affirmation from the woman he loved.

"Only in a genetic sense." Trying to lighten the mood, Jessica giggled again. "That was my Dr. B imitation. What do you think?"

"Har de har. Very funny, but don't give up your day job." Slightly exasperated, Aubrey continued. "Seriously, Jess…"

"Seriously...okay. Genetically you are like your father, but also like your mother. You may have personality traits similar to both of them because of that and because of how you were raised by them. However, whether or not you are liable to use those traits to break the law is not genetic. So, in that case, no, I don't believe that just because your father broke the law, you will also have tendencies to act in the same way. So enough already, okay? I'm an extremely intelligent and well educated scientist. I know these things, alright?"

Thoroughly relieved that Jessica trusted him, Aubrey felt himself relax as he listened to her explanation. "Alright. That's good enough for me." He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "Hey, I'm gonna need to get ready for work here in a few minutes, but I was wondering...you wanna talk dirty some more like we did yesterday? Because, for me, just sitting here thinking about you sitting on your bed in one of those little tee shirts you wear when you sleep over here is really making me hot…"

"Oh, really? I'm wearing that snug green one you like so much...you know, the one that's almost too short? It clings to my breasts and it just barely come to my waist, and I'm wearing some white bikini panties...they dip really low in front...almost down to my pubic bone, so I've got a lot of skin exposed. It's chilly here tonight, James, and I wish you were here to warm me up. You're so good at that. You know what I'd really like? I'd like to be kissed from my collar bone all the way down to my inner thigh..."

Groaning, Aubrey shifted in the bed as he remembered the last time his mouth had taken that route down Jessica's smooth, milky skin. "And then it would be my turn, right? I'd get some of that same treatment?"

"Maybe, after I got what I wanted from your talented tongue, I'd be willing to reciprocate on you. We could take turns kissing each other all over, and then we'd move on to the main event...I'm getting so wet just thinking about that...I don't know how I'm gonna be able to go to sleep tonight without having several good hard thrusts from you…just imagining you here with me like that is almost enough to send me over the edge…."

"That sounds so good...that's just what I wanted to hear. You really have a way with words, don't you? God, I can't wait for you to come…home…Jessica." Breathing hard, Aubrey puffed out a trembling sigh. "What time does your flight get in on Sunday?"

"Let me look...oh, here it is. Four PM. Of course, I'll be hungry, and maybe a little bit jet lagged, but I'm expecting you to be ready to help me make up for lost time…"

"I'll be ready, Jessie...I'm gonna be so glad that I don't have to settle for any more phone sex...unless we want to do it just for fun…" Aubrey snickered as a thought occurred to him. "I guess you can call me from the lab and whisper naughty things to me over the phone on your lunch break…"

"I can send some provocative texts with pictures, too. You'll just have to make sure you don't open the pictures when Agent Booth is around...I don't want him to get an eyeful…"

"Yeah, having my supervisor see that I'm sexting might not be a good thing." Aubrey chuckled as he imagined her naughty smile. "I love you, Jessica…"

"I love you, too, Superman. Listen, I'm gonna need to spend the next few evenings getting ready for my exam, so I need to stay off the phone. I don't want to be distracted by hearing your heavy breathing, okay? But it'll just be for a day or two...the exam is Friday. I'll call you to let you know that I'm on the way home, okay? That way you can get some rest, too, and be rarin' to go when you pick me up at the airport."

"I suppose…" A little disappointed that he wouldn't hear from Jessica for a couple of days, Aubrey pouted a bit. "Okay. I understand that you need to concentrate on your class, but you better plan on a busy time when you get home on Sunday…"

"I'm looking forward to it, Superman. I love you. Bye."

"I love you, too, Darlin'. Bye." Aubrey heard the click that indicated the end of the connection, and grinned to himself. Things were going to work out after all. Jessica loved him in spite of his dad's unacceptable behavior. Now all he had to do was arrest his own father.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: some of the dialogue in this chapter came from the episode the Tutor in the Tussle._

* * *

"So you understand the plan, right?" Booth rose from behind his desk and tossed a pointed glance Aubrey's way. "Me and the RICO boys will be coming into the diner to pick up your dad. You don't have to be involved in that aspect, okay? You're just gonna be the reason he comes to the diner."

"Yeah." Aubrey chewed on his lower lip as he sat in the chair in front of Booth's desk, avoiding eye contact with his mentor. "I understand. Listen, Booth, I really appreciate…"

"Can it, Aubrey. The boys in RICO need you for bait, alright?", Booth growled. "I'm not doing anything for you that I wouldn't do for another one of my agents, okay? Actually, your dad's case isn't really our jurisdiction anyway. The Security and Exchange Commission works in conjunction with RICO, but they're letting me ride shotgun on this thing because Charlie Burns owes me a favor." Booth softened his tone as he grabbed his overcoat from the rack by the door. "When I suggested that you'd be able to arrange a meeting, they were more than agreeable to my terms. They've been looking forward to bringing your dad in for a long time." Sighing softly, Booth cringed slightly before continuing. "You're gonna have a few minutes to say what you need to say to your old man before we come in from both doors of the diner to make the arrest."

"Don't you need me to wear a wire?" Aubrey shifted nervously in his seat. "You know, in case he says anything important?"

"Nah. They already have enough to arrest your dad on a wide variety of charges. They just need you to keep him occupied for a few minutes until we get everything in place...you know, keeping other folks out of the place until we can make the bust...things like that…" Booth stood in the doorway of his office. "So...you ready to make the call?"

Pausing a few seconds to get his emotions under control, Aubrey nodded as he pulled out his phone. "Days Inn? I need to leave a message for someone. Can you connect me to the room of one of your guests? Phil Silvers? Yeah, I'll hold." After a short pause, Aubrey continued. "Dad, it's me. I need you to meet me at the Royal Diner. You remember the place, I'm sure. It's about the money you wanted. I'm on my lunch break, so I'm heading over to the diner now, and I'll wait for you there." Hanging up, Aubrey stood up and smoothed his tie before giving Booth a resolute nod. "Let's go."

Oooooooooo

Aubrey sat at the table in the nearly deserted diner, gazing out the window as he nursed his cup of coffee. Knowing his father, he fully expected the older man to show up without delay since the word 'money' had been mentioned. He laughed ruefully as he thought about his father's avarice. His father was nothing if not predictable. The man would've sold his own soul for a buck, so he'd have no scruples when it came to screwing his own son out of every dime he could get.

Glancing at his watch, however, Aubrey was getting nervous. It'd been over a half hour since he'd made the call, and his father hadn't shown up yet. He scanned the sidewalk anxiously for his father, not wanting to let Booth down in front of the RICO team, especially after the senior agent had gone out on a limb to set up this arrangement for him. Smiling as Ellie warmed up his coffee, he took another sip. Of course, his father wouldn't be in a hurry. That was part of his 'charm'...always giving the appearance of being slightly daft and a bit of a folksy philosopher, when in fact he was actually more like a rattle snake waiting to strike at its unsuspecting prey.

Finally his dad came nonchalantly strolling into the diner as if it were no big deal to be a felon wanted by the FBI and the SEC. The younger Aubrey felt his heart skip a beat as his dad walked over to the table and sat down. "Hey, Dad. I figured if I waited here long enough you'd show up…"

Phillip Aubrey took a few seconds to make a cursory inspection of his surroundings. "Is it safe for us?" Seeing his son's relaxed demeanor, the older man leaned forward. "So your message...does this mean you've thought about things? That you're gonna help me?"

Disgusted with his father's greed, Aubrey shook his head. "Not you." He held up the photograph his father had left with him. "This kid. I thought about how I grew up seeing your face on the news...seeing mom cry...I wouldn't wish that sort of childhood on anyone…"

Phillip shrugged before continuing in a matter of fact tone. "You know, I never would've left if I didn't think you could handle it, Jamie. I was trying to toughen you up a bit. I knew you'd turn out to be a good man, and I was right. I'm proud of you, James. You're one of the only really good things I've ever done in my life."

Appalled at his father's lack of remorse, Aubrey glanced down at the picture again, hoping his father couldn't see the tears of anger filling his eyes. He pursed his lips, exhaling slightly to calm himself. "You know, a friend of mine says people can change." Aubrey looked his dad in the eyes as he continued, shaking his head. "Maybe he's right...but I'm not ready to believe that about you." After giving the agreed upon signal, Booth and the agents from the RICO squad came streaming into the diner, much to the chagrin of Phillip Aubrey.

"You're making a mistake, James. I can't believe you're gonna let these goons arrest your old man…I'm your own father, for Christ's sake!", the older man grumbled as the officers took him into custody.

"You don't deserve to be called my father." The agent rose from the table and crossed his arms across his chest, giving the older man an icy glare. "Oh, and one more thing...don't ever take credit for how I turned out. Any good that's in me is despite having you for a father." Aubrey glowered at the older man as he was led out in handcuffs. Taking a deep breath, he sank into a chair opposite of Booth. "God, I'm glad that's over…"

"Hey, I know that was hard, but you did the right thing.", Booth began, as he tried to console his friend.

"Did I? Or did I just doom some poor little kid in Croatia to a life in poverty...a life where he'll grow up without a father, just like I did?" Aubrey stared out the window. "That boy will never know his father…"

"Listen, Aubrey, I put a call in over to my friend at the State Department...Alex Radziwill…and he just got back to me. They don't know for sure who this kid is, but your dad is not his father. This picture was taken from a travel brochure...you know, 'visit Central Europe', or something like that. It's a new flimflam trick...take a picture of a magazine page with a digital camera and print it off on photo stock to make it look like a real photograph. Your dad was trying to pull another con job...trying to squeeze money from you for a child that doesn't even belong to him."

"And I almost fell for it…", Aubrey groaned as he slouched down in his chair. "Jesus…"

"I think that's because you're hungry, Aubrey. Your brain doesn't know what to do with itself since you haven't been eating correctly." Booth waved at Ellie to get her attention. "Get my friend here a burger…"

Aubrey protested weakly. "I'm not really hungry…"

"Yeah, you are. Make it double cheese, Ellie…and extra fries."

Grinning at his friend, Aubrey shrugged. "A shake might be nice…"

"You heard the man. Two shakes…" Booth smiled at his protege'. "You're gonna be alright, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Sipping his shake, Aubrey nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Booth…"

"Hey, don't thank me. You're the one who did the legwork on this case, right?"

"I guess so...and now I'm getting a free lunch…"

Booth chuckled as he watched Aubrey dive into his meal. "I never said I was buying…"

Oooooooooo

It was late in the evening, and the darkened house was quiet as Booth sat in his favorite chair looking through a box of old photographs. He paused as he looked at a snapshot of a man standing with his hand on a small boy's shoulder. The boy held a beat up baseball glove and his Phillies baseball cap was slightly askew, but he wore a broad smile as he looked up at the man, who was smiling back at the boy. Sighing, Booth turned over the picture to see what was written on the back. _October 15, 1980._ His dad had quit drinking for a short period of time, and the Phillies were in the World Series. Life had been wonderful for a few short weeks…

"Booth? Is something wrong? Why are you still awake?" Brennan came and sat on the arm of Booth's chair, glancing at the photograph in Booth's hand. "I've seen that picture before...that's your father, correct?"

"Yeah." Booth put the picture back in the box and drew out another, handing it to his wife. "Here he is in the barbershop…"

She ran her finger over the picture, studying the man's facial features carefully. "I can see the family resemblance." Handing the picture back to her husband, she spoke softly. "You seemed preoccupied this evening. Are you still concerned about Aubrey?"

"Maybe a little." Booth smiled as he put his arm around his wife to pull her onto his lap. "He says he's okay, and I know he believes that, but…"

"But you're not sure…" Brennan leaned against her husband's broad chest. "I imagine he'll experience many conflicting emotions over the next few weeks and months, especially when his father is transferred to the federal penitentiary…"

"It's gonna be difficult for him." Booth nodded as he put the lid on the box and set it on the table next to the chair. "I know...I've been there..." Seeing Brennan's confusion, he rubbed his wife's shoulder as he spoke softly. "I mean, my dad was never arrested like that, but...all little boys want to be just like their dads, you know? When we're small, we think our dads are right up there next to Batman or Superman, or maybe even God, I guess. We look up to them, and want to grow up to be like them, even if our dads are no good bastards, and when they let us down, it's devastating. We know they're supposed to love us and take care of us...but sometimes they fail at that, too..." Booth's voice dropped to a whisper, closing his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. "I tried so hard to make my dad love me, Bones. I tried to make him happy...but I couldn't…no matter what I did...I was never good enough..."

"Booth…" Brennan caressed his cheek gently. "I never met your father, but after looking at that picture of the two of you, I feel sure he must've cared for you deeply. Unfortunately, he had so many mental health issues that he couldn't express himself adequately, but I'm sure you made him happy…that he was proud of you. That's what he said in that letter Pops gave you after your father died, right?"

Sighing, Booth nodded slightly. "Yeah, you're right...maybe my dad did care for me some. But for Aubrey, it's a completely different situation, isn't it? His dad is just a goddamn criminal, plain and simple. When Aubrey was a boy, his dad probably seemed just like every other dad, you know? Maybe they played catch in the backyard or went to the park or the zoo together...maybe his dad read to him every night just like we read to Hank and Christine, right? Phillip Aubrey went to work and came home just like every other dad...except while he was away at work, he was running illegal stock market schemes, stealing millions of dollars from people who trusted him. Aubrey thought his dad is a great guy until the Feds showed up at the front door to arrest the guy, and then his whole life came crashing down around his ears. Then his dad ran away, leaving his mom with nothing to live on. It's no wonder he's so angry at his dad..."

"But didn't Aubrey say that his dad said he was proud of him?" Brennan's brow furrowed as she thought about what had happened earlier that day. "Don't you think he really is proud of his son?"

Shrugging, Booth agreed. "I'm sure he is, but that doesn't really mean anything to Aubrey since his dad is notorious for lying, cheating, and stealing. Phillip Aubrey may really respect his son, you know? He may really love his son...he might be proud of the man his son has become, and with good reason, too, but the man has lost the right to say so to his own son because of how he's led his life...because of how many times he's lied about things or cheated people. The fact that Aubrey turned out as well as he did just shows how strong a man he actually is...and it's a testament to what a wonderful woman his mother was, too. I'm sure her influence had a lot to do with his success in life."

"Perhaps you've influenced him as well, Booth…" Brennan spoke gently as she studied her husband intently. "You've given him a good example of how to survive the vagaries of having poor parental role models. You're loved and respected by so many people, and you're very successful in your chosen career. I'd imagine several agents look to you as an example of how a federal agent should act…"

"Nah." He gave his wife a small smile as he accepted her loving praise. "I'd be nothing without Pops taking me in, and having you on my side has been a huge advantage for me. Aubrey didn't have people like that on his side after his mother passed away…."

"But he does now." Brennan kissed Booth gently and ran her fingers through his hair. "You impact people more than you know, Booth. You're an excellent father, and your children have a superior parental role model in you. For that, I'm very thankful." She rose from the chair and took his hand in hers. "It's time to come to bed, Booth. I find that I have difficulty sleeping without you next to me. Come along…I want to show you how grateful I really am..."

"Oh, alright, if you insist…I guess I can let you show me how grateful you are..." Booth grinned as he followed his wife to their bedroom. Things were gonna be alright.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm sure we're all glad that's over. Now we can get on to the fun stuff..._


	8. Chapter 8

Jessica moved briskly around her small dorm room on a bright, cool Saturday morning, looking through the dresser drawers and checking her desk and closet as she made sure she'd packed everything before starting her trip home. She rearranged the folded clothing in her wheeled suitcase once again, trying to find any little bit of extra space for the few souvenirs she'd picked up in the limited spare time she'd had during her stay. Sighing softly, she emptied her carry on bag and repacked it, wrapping a pair of beer steins in several layers of dirty clothing. She giggled as she held up the two souvenir tee shirts that she'd purchased for Aubrey. One said _Bundeskriminalamt,_ the name of the German federal criminal police, and the other had a map of Germany with the names of the sausages and cheeses that came from each region. She knew how much he'd appreciate that one, nodding happily as she placed it in the bottom of her tote bag.

Jessica's hand brushed against a small square box that was jammed in the corner of the carry on. Smiling, she took out the box and removed the lid, admiring its contents once again. She really hoped James liked the object as much as she did. When she saw it in the store, she knew she had to have it, even though it was much more expensive than she was used to spending on a gift. _That's okay...this is going to be a special gift for him...something to help him remember a very special Valentine's Day, I hope._

Giggling softly, she carefully tucked the small box back into her bag. She'd had an specific reason for requesting that they stay home on Valentine's Day. After being away from James for two weeks, Jessica had finally realized how much she needed him in her life. She needed his silly jokes and his passion for life, but most of all, she needed his unconditional love. Not willing to take a chance on the possibility of not having him in her life, she'd made an important decision. She was going to propose marriage to him after dinner on Valentine's Day, and the little token tucked away in her carry on bag was going to be his engagement gift, if he said yes...and she was fairly certain he would. She knew he loved her, and he was conservative enough to want to get married as opposed to having a common law relationship, especially since he might still have some political aspirations. Overall, she couldn't think of any logical reason why he might say no, and yet there was still some trepidation on her part. After all, marriage would be a big step for both of them, and and even though Jessica loved Aubrey now, it made her nervous to think about making the commitment to love him forever. As for James, he might still feel the burden of dealing with his felonious parent, wanting to spare her from all the gory details attached to his father's conviction. It was also possible that he might think she was still too much of a free spirit...that she wasn't serious wifely material, given some of her past adventures, even though she had matured quite a bit over the last two years... _but nothing ventured, nothing gained._ Jessica had spent most of her life taking risks of some sort, whether it was teasing her older brothers unmercifully, knowing they could run faster than she did, or moving away from home to enter a large state university at a much younger age than the average freshman. Even applying to be Dr. Brennan's intern had been somewhat of a risk. Jessica had felt that she had very little chance of being selected from the hundreds of potential candidates for the position, but to her immense surprise, she was given a spot in the best program in the country. Sometimes when she took a chance on something, Jessica fell flat on her face, but it had been her experience that more often than not, taking a great risk often returned a great reward, and she felt certain that asking James Aubrey to marry her was a risk worth taking.

Even with the potential of being disappointed, Jessica allowed herself one short flight of fancy as she considered how pleasant it would be to travel throughout Germany and Austria on their honeymoon. There were a lot of wonderful things to see and do in the countryside, and Jessica felt sure James would love the area, especially with all the homemade apple strudel that was available in every corner bakery. Maybe they could get married in May of next year, after the semester was over...that would give them plenty of time to plan a simple ceremony and to save enough vacation days for a nice two week trip….

Lost in her pleasant reverie, Jessica hadn't paid attention to the soft knock at her open door. Finally the knocking became louder, followed by a noisy cough. "Excuse me, Ms. Warren…."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hans…" Jessica blushed slightly as she shoved her underclothes into her suitcase. She hesitated for a few seconds, wondering why Professor Zumwalt's graduate assistant was visiting her. "I was just finishing my packing. My flight leaves late this afternoon but I need to be at the airport a few hours early. What can I do for you?"

Hans ambled into the small room and sat down clumsily on the wooden desk chair. "I wanted to let you know about your examination score. You did very well." He licked his lips as he regarded the attractive young woman in front of him. "I assumed you'd want to know about that before you left."

"Thank you. I appreciate your efforts, but Professor Zumwalt said he'd email our test scores and final grades to us." She turned back to packing her suitcase, pushing down on the lid as she zipped it closed. "Is there something else I can do for you?"

"Well, um…" Scratching the back of his neck, Hans stammered nervously as he furtively admired Jessica's lithe figure. "I was wondering if you'd like to have lunch with me before you leave this afternoon...maybe a sandwich and some soup? We really didn't have a lot of time together over the last two weeks, and I wanted to get to know you better. I think you and I have a lot in common…we're both highly intelligent, and I'm sure we'd be compatible...our conversation would be very interesting."

Jessica bit her lip, trying not to laugh out loud. In reality, the only thing that she and Hans had in common was that they were both members of the same species, but she realized he was trying to pay her a compliment of sorts. It was obvious from the tent in the front of his pants that instead of a sandwich, Hans had a very different kind of snack in mind. "I'm sorry, Hans, but I'm engaged to be married, and my fiance, James, is a very jealous man…he's a US federal law enforcement agent...very handy with a gun."

"Oh, I see. Well, it's just a meal...we could spend an hour or two together. He wouldn't have to know…", Hans wheedled. "It could be most satisfying for both of us…"

"Yes, he would have to know. I don't keep secrets like that from the man I'm going to marry. However, perhaps a compromise would be in order…" Jessica smiled at the awkward man in front of her as she shouldered her carry on bag and picked up her suitcase.

"Really?" Hans had a hopeful gleam in his eye. "I'd like that very much…"

"Perhaps when James and I come to Germany for our honeymoon we can swing by Heidelberg and take you out to dinner. Will that work?" Jessica smiled mischievously as she walked toward the door. Seeing the downcast look on Hans' face, she shrugged. "Well, maybe you'll change your mind by next year. I'll be in touch, okay? Oh, and please close the door on your way out."

Laughing quietly as she strode down the hall toward the elevator, pulling her heavy suitcase behind her, Jessica nodded happily to herself. It wasn't really too difficult to think of James as being her fiance already. Now all she had to do was to get him to make it official. Walking down to the bus stop, she pulled out her phone to check the time. Fifteen minutes from the bus stop to the train station, an hour train ride to the airport in Frankfurt, and then an overnight flight to Atlanta. If everything went according to plan, she'd have a two hour layover there before flying on to DC. Sighing happily, she sent a quick text. _On the way home, Superman. Can't wait to see you…._

Her phone chimed almost immediately. _I can't wait either. Love you...see you soon._

Tucking her phone back in her bag, Jessica closed her eyes and leaned back against the bench as she waited for the bus. Two weeks away from Aubrey had been two weeks too long. If she had her choice, she'd never be apart from him for that length of time again.

Oooooooooo

James Aubrey was slightly anxious as he parked his car in the short term parking lot and made his way toward the airport terminal. He'd spent all day Saturday shopping, cooking and cleaning for a very special Valentine's Day evening, and even though he was physically tired, his restless mind was focused on the details for his special date. Everything needed to be perfect. He ran through his mental checklist as he checked the arrivals board and walked toward the correct concourse. The steaks were currently in the fridge, coated with his super secret dry rub, waiting to be marinated in a specially prepared mixture of fresh herbs and other flavorful ingredients. The homemade salad dressing was mixed, allowing the flavors to blend to just the right balance of sweet and tart before being splashed on the combination of baby spinach, chopped apples, sliced strawberries, and brown sugar glazed walnuts. Two perfect potatoes were sitting on his kitchen counter, just waiting to be baked before being slathered with sour cream and chives. The cheesecake was already prepared and was waiting in the refrigerator for the application of its lemon topping. The house had been vacuumed and dusted, and the pillows on the sofa were fluffed and plumped. Things were progressing nicely. He'd change the sheets and put out fresh towels Tuesday morning after he gave the bathroom a quick once over, and, of course, sweep up as much cat hair as humanly possible. As much as Skinner shed, it was amazing that there was still a cat left...

Standing at the head of the concourse, he wore a self-satisfied smirk as he thought about the garment bag hanging in his truck. A clean suit, shirt, and tie were ready and waiting for use tomorrow, because he wasn't planning on going back to his apartment tonight. He was going to take Jessica home, make love to her for hours, and maybe let her get out of bed long enough to go to the bathroom and to have a slice of the pizza which he had preordered online. The pizza was going to be delivered about eight...he glanced at his watch. Jessica was supposed to arrive around four...she should've cleared customs in Atlanta, so all they needed to do was pick up her bag and head for home...hopefully he could wait that long to get his hands on her. _After all, it's not like I'm some teenaged horndog, right? I can give her a chance to relax a minute or two before dragging her into bed, right?_ _Or maybe not..._ Standing on his toes, he craned his neck to look down the long hallway coming from Concourse A. _Where is she? She oughta be here by now…_ a wave of people was coming from the arrival gate as the loudspeaker announced the arrival of Jessica's flight from Atlanta. Where was his favorite redhead?

Jessica was struggling with her bag as she tried to navigate the crowd of people walking from the arrival gate to the baggage claim area. One of the straps on her carry on had broken and things had spilled everywhere. After trying to repack everything neatly she gave up and began randomly piling things into the bag. She was exhausted, having spent almost 24 hours trying to get home, but it was going to be worth it when she felt her boyfriend's arms wrap around her again. _Where is he?_ She stood on her toes, trying to find him in the crowd….

"Jess! Jessica! Over here!" Aubrey waved wildly before rushing over to her, sweeping her up in a bear hug. "Oh, my God, Jessie...I'm so glad to see you." He pulled her close, kissing her passionately as they stood in the middle of the walkway. People streamed around them, many of them grinning at the couple as they celebrated their happy reunion.

Breathless from her kiss, Jessica smiled up at Aubrey as she caressed his cheek. "Miss me much?"

"Yeah…so much.", he sighed as he kissed her again. "I can't wait to show you how much. Why don't we head for your apartment as soon as we pick up your luggage, okay? There's something I want you to see…" Taking her hand, he quickly led her to the baggage claim area.

"I can't wait to see what you have to show me." She bounced on the balls of her feet slightly as they stood by the baggage carousel, watching for her bag when she caught Aubrey staring at her out out of the corner of her eye "Checking me out, Superman?"

"You bet, and from what I can see, things are looking good. Germany seems to have agreed with you." He ran his hand down her spine before giving her a sly pat on the butt. "However, I think I need a closer inspection, just to be sure you came back in one piece…"

Jessica practically purred as she leaned into his touch. Picking up her suitcase as it came around on the conveyer, she arched her eyebrow seductively. "Trust me, babe...you're going to get more than one piece tonight. Ready to go?"

A wide grin spread over Aubrey's face as he took the suitcase from his girlfriend. "Oh, yeah...I've been ready to go for the last two weeks."


	9. Chapter 9

The black SUV was speeding down the highway towards the sunset, heading to the part of town where Jessica's apartment was located. Aubrey was making a valiant effort to concentrate on the traffic crowding the lanes on the road before him, but the distraction created by his girlfriend was making that a very difficult task. He squirmed slightly as her fingertips traced a delicate pattern on top of his thigh. "What are you doing down there, Jessie? I'm trying to drive here...I need to pay attention, okay? You don't want me to have an accident before I get you home, do you?"

Her hand slid across the top of his leg and started to playfully tease along the inseam of his jeans from his knee to his groin. She moved her nimble fingers skillfully over the rough denim fabric as she winked at her boyfriend. "I just wanted to give you a preview of what to expect later this evening. Dr. Brennan has often commented that anticipation can vastly improve the satisfaction level of sexual intercourse." She gently squeezed his quadriceps muscle as she offered him a sultry smile. "I'm anticipating great things from you this evening, Superman…" She lightly ran her fingers down the fly of his jeans. "...and I can see you're anticipating things, too…"

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Aubrey gently moved his girlfriend's hand away from his zipper, giving it an affectionate squeeze as he did. "Look, Jessica, we're gonna be home in about ten minutes, okay? Unless we have an accident, that is…" He gave her a sideways glance as she pretended to pout. "Did Dr. B really say that about anticipation and sex, or are you just making that up?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Wearing a sultry grin, Jessica licked her lips as she wiggled her eyebrow at him suggestively. "I work with several intelligent and sexually experienced women, Aubrey, and they're very open in discussing their sexual relationships. It's called 'girl talk', you know? Don't you think I'd want to take advantage of that situation so that I could learn a thing or two about how to deal with the opposite sex?" She giggled as she looked out the car's passenger window. "Anyway, now I get to add to our conversations at work instead of just listening when they discuss things. They're always very interested when I tell them about some of your amazing skills in the bedroom, and your sexual exploits are becoming almost legendary. My co-workers have actually commented on how lucky I am..."

Grimacing, a slightly embarrassed Aubrey shook his head at his girlfriend. "I see. Well, I'm not sure how I feel about being the topic of that conversation." He swallowed hard as he thought about all the beautiful women Jessica worked with and what kind of sexual experiences they might've discussed, but that was a fantasy for another time. He had to concentrate on the here and now, especially since he was driving, but then another thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute...what do you mean, how to deal with the opposite sex? The only member of the opposite sex that you have to deal with when it comes to sex is me, right?" Aubrey's mouth twisted into a slight frown as he pulled his hand away from Jessica. "Now I'm confused…and I don't like being confused..."

Even though Jessica was pleased that Aubrey was being territorial about their relationship, she pretended to sigh with exasperation. "Yes, of course, you're the only one, James. I simply meant that I've learned a lot about how a mature relationship should work by listening to Dr. Brennan and Angela talk about their marriages...well, actually, it's mostly Angela, but occasionally Dr. B offers an interesting nugget about Booth here and there, as does Cam when she talks about her relationship with Arastoo. They have more experience with maintaining a long term relationship than I have, so sometimes I ask them for advice about things." Reaching over to clasp Aubrey's hand, she wore a serious expression as she continued. "I don't want to mess up our relationship, James. I want to learn all I can about how to do this romantic stuff well…"

"I appreciate that, Jessie, but you know what?" Aubrey smiled at his girlfriend as he parked the SUV in front of her apartment. "I think you're doing just fine in this relationship, okay? I mean, it's fine to talk to other people about things if you feel like it, but I really think all you need to know about this thing between us is already in your heart…" Blushing slightly, he shrugged before looking into her beautiful green eyes. "Anyway, I think we're in a good place. I know I'm happy with how things are."

"Yeah, me, too." She held his gaze for a few seconds before she self consciously glanced away. "Well, I'm ready to be home. Let's get these bags upstairs…" She turned away so he wouldn't see her anxious expression. _If he's happy with how things are...will he want to marry me?_

"Yeah." Slightly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken, he forced a small grin. _She's happy with how things are...what does that mean for the two of us?_ Aubrey pulled Jessica's suitcase and his garment bag from the back of the SUV and locked the doors before following her upstairs to her apartment, waiting impatiently as she unlocked her door.

"Here we are...home sweet home." Jessica cast her jacket and carry on bag aside as she looked through the mail that was stacked on the kitchen table. "Thanks for checking my mailbox for me, James. The plants look good, too." She opened the refrigerator and laughed in delight. "You stocked up on groceries for me! Milk, apples, beer…"

"Yeah, and some canned tuna, some bread, and some peanut butter." Aubrey opened one of the upper cabinets. "Oh, and some of my favorite cereal." He held up the boxes for Jessica to examine. "Cap'n Crunch and Alpha-bits. See? Made with whole grain."

"Here, let me have that." Laughing, Jessica took one of the boxes from her boyfriend and pretended to scowl at him. "Look how much sugar is in this cereal! It's definitely not good for you." She set the box on the counter and smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think you need a different kind of sugar, don't you? A more natural blend?"

"Um, yeah…" He brushed her hair away from her face and smiled broadly. "I think I need a lot of that special sugar." He ran his fingers lovingly down her neck and across her collarbone before bending down to kiss her gently. "God, I missed you so much…"

"I missed you, too." Jessica ran her hands across Aubrey's shoulders and gave him a flirty grin. "Do you want to know how much?"

"How much?" Still wearing a silly grin, Aubrey caressed her arms and shoulders before moving his hands to her hips, cupping her buttocks and giving her a squeeze as he drew her closer. "A lot or a little?"

"So much that I don't think we're gonna make it all the way to my bedroom for me to show you." Jessica quickly unbuttoned her blouse and threw it aside. "You need to lose those jeans and that tee shirt, mister…" Not wanting to argue with his girlfriend, Aubrey complied quickly, dropping his clothes in a heap on the kitchen floor as Jessica pulled off her bra and stepped out of her jeans and panties before eyeing her boyfriend from head to toe. She quirked her eyebrow playfully as her attention was drawn to his crotch. "Wow, Superman...you really did miss me…" Moving closer, she palmed his arousal as he moaned softly. "It looks like you've been desperate for affection while I was gone, but I think I know what'll make you feel better."

"Yeah? What's that...oh, God…" Aubrey felt weak in the knees as Jessica teased her nails inside the waistband of his boxers, brushing the back of her hand against the fine hairs leading downward from his navel. Gripping the edge of the kitchen counter, his breathing became more ragged and irregular as she stroked his lower abdomen with her fingertips, using the pads of her fingers to make small circles across his skin. "You're not gonna spend all night teasing me, are you, Jessie?"

"Maybe just half the night. You're going to be spending the other half of the night making me scream your name while I have multiple orgasms." Moving closer to him, she began to leave a trail of kisses and nips along his jaw and neck as she caressed his hardening erection, pausing to lick and gently pinch his flat nipples before turning her attention to his abdominal muscles. He groaned as he pressed her nude body closer, aching to have her soft skin next to him. Her mouth moved slowly down to his abdomen, outlining each muscle tenderly with her tongue before she moved on to his navel and his inguinal creases, lowering his boxers over his straining erection as she moved down his torso.

Finally she was on her knees in front of him as she took his swollen member into her mouth. Her tongue and lips caressed him slowly at first, wanting him to enjoy the pleasurable sensation she was giving him as much as possible, but soon she increased her pace in response to his loud moans. As she continued her ministrations, one of his hands still gripped the kitchen counter while the other was tangled in her long red hair, guiding her and holding her in place against his thrusting hips until he reached his release.

"Oh, God…that was amazing..." Feeling thoroughly relaxed, he slowly sank onto the floor next to where Jessica was kneeling, taking her in his arms and stroking her hair. "I missed you so much, Jessica. I hope if you decide to take another class like this last one that it's on this side of the Atlantic. I don't know how I could handle being away from you for that long again…I love you too much to let you leave me..."

"It'll be a long time before I leave you like that, Superman. Next time I go on an extended trip, you'll have to come with me." Jessica reached up and kissed Aubrey's cheek. "I don't want to be away from you for that long..."

"Well, I think we can both agree that I've come with you before, right?" He chuckled as she rolled her eyes at his silly double entendre. "I get it. Next time you go on a trip, maybe I'll get to go, too. I'd like that..."

"Hmm...right. Shhh...no more talking right now. I just want to snuggle with you, okay? We have a lot of time we need to make up for." Jessica put her head on Aubrey's shoulder as she put her arms around him.

"Yeah, this is nice isn't it? Just you and me, here in the kitchen…" Aubrey's voice trailed off to a whisper. Soon both of them were happily snoring as they lay in each other's arms on the kitchen floor.

Oooooooooo

Aubrey's eyes flew open, and he quickly looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. He and his girlfriend were in the nude, sitting on the floor with their backs against the lower cabinets in Jessica's kitchen. A little discomfited at first, he shook off his uneasiness and closed his eyes as he pulled Jessica closer. _I probably just had a dream or something…._ He was just about to go back to sleep, when he sat up with a start. _Jesus...what time is it?_ He glanced at the clock on the microwave oven. _8:00...the night is still young…I just wanna lie here with Jessica right now…_

He was startled from his dreams again by the sound of the doorbell being rung insistently, followed by a loud pounding on the door. "Vito's pizza delivery! C'mon, man. Open the door. I got more deliveries to make…"

"JUST A MINUTE! I'M COMING…" Gently pushing Jessica aside, Aubrey stood up and made his way to the door. He reached to pull his wallet out of his back pocket, only to realize that his jeans were on the kitchen floor in the pile with the rest of his clothes.

"I gotta go, man. Do you want this pie or not? It's gettin' cold..." The voice on the other side of the door was becoming increasingly impatient. "I need some money here…"

"Coming...I'm coming!" Jumping into his jeans commando style, Aubrey buttoned the waistband before pulling two twenties and several singles out of his wallet. He unlocked the door, smiling sheepishly at the delivery man. "Sorry...laundry day, you know? I had to get my jeans out of the dryer." Flashing the bills at the delivery man, he shrugged. "Will this cover it, since you had to wait?"

"Yeah, I guess so." The delivery man nodded as he read the order ticket taped to the pizza box. "So it's an extra large half veggie supreme and half double meat, which includes hot Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, and Cotto salami, along with mushrooms, pineapple, and anchovies, right? With garlic drizzle, Parmesan crust, and extra cheese?"

"That's me...thanks." Aubrey smiled at the wonderful aroma coming from the box. "Hey, do you have any of those little packages of red pepper flakes?"

Rolling his eyes, the delivery man pulled some small packets out of his pocket. "Here ya go…"

"James? I thought I heard someone at the door…" A drowsy Jessica came ambling through the living room wearing Aubrey's tee shirt and nothing else, stopping short when she saw the pizza delivery man. Tugging at the hem of the shirt to make sure her butt wasn't exposed, she then tried to pull it up over her bare shoulder before running a hand over her messy hair. "Oh...hi…" She smiled sweetly as she sauntered lazily toward the bathroom.

"Laundry, huh? Is that what folks are calling it these days?" Wearing a knowing smile, the delivery man snickered as he made change and shoved the rest of the money into his pocket. "Looks like you need to go run another load, Buddy…"

Handing the man a tip, Aubrey glared at the man's joke. "Right. Thanks. Bye…" He slammed the door shut and carried the pizza into the kitchen, setting the box on the table before getting out plates, utensils and a couple of beers. Smiling contentedly, he sat down and took a sip of his beer as he waited for Jessica to join him. He was a perfectly happy man...he had a beautiful, loving girlfriend, and a great pizza dinner just waiting to be eaten. What more could a man possibly want?


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: There is a passing reference to Max being alive in this chapter. He was still with us during the time frame of the Tutor in the Tussle, and that's approximately when this chapter takes place._

* * *

"I can't believe you're actually going to eat that." Jessica shook her head in amazement as she watched Aubrey start on his sixth piece of pizza.

"Come on, Jessica. You know how much I love this version of the meat lover's special." He sprinkled more red pepper flakes on the slice before taking a large bite of it. "And I'm still hungry. It's been a long time since I ate lunch."

Daintily munching on her second slice of vegetarian pizza as she sat on the kitchen counter, Jessica rolled her eyes as she sighed in exasperation. "I know, but anchovies and garlic drizzle on a Parmesan crust? That's a really smelly mixture, isn't it? Hardly the recipe for a romantic evening at home." She giggled as he stuck his tongue out at her. "Do you really think I'm going to want to kiss you after you eat that combination?"

"If I remember correctly, it didn't stop you from kissing me last time we had this for dinner. In fact, it didn't stop you from doing a lot of things with me, did it? Anyway, it's not my fault that you don't appreciate the finer things in life...like anchovies." Aubrey smirked as his picked up a morsel of sausage from his plate and put it back on his pizza slice. "You know, I read somewhere that both garlic and anchovies are aphrodisiacs. I'm just thinking of you, okay? I wanna be able to satisfy you all night long..." He took another big bite of the pizza, reaching for his napkin as tomato sauce squirted out of the slice. After cleaning the sauce from his mouth, he grumbled as he looked down at his bare chest. "That's just great...now there's pizza sauce all down my front…" He pretended to be annoyed when Jessica giggled at his predicament. "So you think it's funny, do you?" He pushed his chair away from the table and pretended to glare at her. "I don't think it's very nice for you to laugh at me like that…"

Giggling at her boyfriend's supposed annoyance, Jessica shrugged a shoulder as she had another bite of her pizza slice. "Yeah, actually it's very funny. I guess it's a good thing I'm wearing your shirt since you're so messy when you eat. Otherwise there'd be stuff all over it, and it'd smell like anchovies and garlic." She gave him a flirty grin as she adjusted the tee shirt around her, crossing her legs so the shirt would ride up high on her thigh. "I like this shirt. I think I'm going to keep it."

Aubrey couldn't help but notice the tantalizing view offered by his girlfriend's position on the counter. The shirt had slipped down off her shoulder, offering a glimpse of the upper curve of her breast, and at some time during the evening's festivities, she'd lost her panties. Her dark red hair was flowing loose around her face and neck, and the contrast between her hair and her creamy skin was practically intoxicating...so much so that Aubrey forgot all about his meat lovers' pizza in favor of becoming a different sort of lover. He sauntered over to the counter where she sat, putting a hand on either side of her as he positioned himself between her knees. "Oh, no, you don't. That's one of my favorite shirts, and I'm gonna take it back from you…" He took her slice of pizza from her hand and set it on the counter next to her before grabbing the hem of the tee shirt and pulling it off over Jessica's head. "There...much better."

"You need to learn to share, Aubrey." Jessica made a show of stretching as she shifted on the counter. "Oh...it looks like you missed a spot." She wet her finger with the tip of her tongue before running it back and forth through an imaginary drop of pizza sauce, laughing as she tickled his bare chest. She gave him a saucy grin before licking her finger. "You taste so good…"

"And I bet you taste good, too. C'mere, you…" An almost primal growl erupted from Aubrey as he pulled Jessica close, nibbling at her ears before kissing and nipping gently at her neck, throat, and clavicles as he massaged her breasts. He laved her hardening nipples with his insistent tongue, spurred on by her moans and mewls of pleasure. Jessica arched her back, using her elbows to support herself as she reclined on the counter while his mouth slowly worked its way down her body before reaching his ultimate prize.

"God, James...what are you waiting for?", she groaned as he paused from his efforts. He gave her a cocky grin as he rested his chin on her belly.

"Oh, I'm just trying to decide what I want to do to you next…" Aubrey chuckled as he dodged her playful swipe at his head. "I take it the whole 'anchovy and garlic are stinky' thing hasn't bothered you too much while I've been kissing you all over your body…" He gently ran his hands over the smooth skin of her breasts, abdomen and her hips. "God, your skin feels so good, Jess…it's just like satin." He laid a delicate kiss on her navel before taking a step back to admire her nude form. "I could just stare at you all night long…"

"Nope...I'm not gonna let you waste my time like that. Break time's over. Back to work." Jessica put her legs around Aubrey's hips, laughing as she used them to pull him closer to her. "You know what I want…"

"I think so…" He gently stroked her inner thighs with his fingertips, pleased that he was making her body so hot with desire for him. "Ready for some more lovin', Baby?"

Jessica threw her head back in frustration, exasperated with her boyfriend's teasing. "Arrgh! Seriously? I was ready hours ago, Aubrey! I can't wait any longer. Get busy!"

"Wasn't it you who said that anticipation heightens pleasure during sex? Maybe I'll just make you wait…maybe I'll go finish my slice of pizza." He chuckled as he saw her scowling at him. "Oh, okay…if you insist..." He began laying delicate kisses from her navel downward, stopping to ghost small puffs of air on her wet heat. "You're so ready for me, aren't you…"

Shivers ran down Jessica's spine as her boyfriend made love to her with his talented tongue until finally she cried out his name in ecstasy and collapsed back on the counter, almost delirious with such intense pleasure. "Oh, my God, Superman…you're amazing…" Waves of pleasure vibrated her body as she ran her fingers through his thick hair. "That was wonderful. No one's ever made me feel this way…I love you so much…"

"I love you, too, Darlin'." Caressing Jessica gently, Aubrey smiled. "But I think we've spent enough time in the kitchen for one evening, don't you? Why don't we adjourn to the bedroom?"

She giggled softly as she gave him a quick kiss. "I thought you were hungry…"

"I think I've had enough pizza to tide me over for a few hours...but I haven't had my fill of you yet." Laughing, Aubrey scooped Jessica from the counter and threw her over his shoulder fireman style, playfully patting her butt. "Come along, little girl. I think I need some more of you…" He carried his squealing girlfriend to her bedroom and gently bounced her down on the bed, quickly stepping out of his jeans before laying down next to her. "Time for the main course…"

"I can't wait for dessert…" Jessica pulled him close and wrapped her arms and legs around him in a tight embrace. "I'm hungry, too…"

Oooooooooo

It was quiet Sunday evening at home for Booth and Brennan. The lights were turned down low except for a few strategically placed candles on the dinner table. Brennan sipped her wine as Booth set a heaping dinner plate before her. "My secret Bolognese sauce over handmade whole wheat linguine." He flashed a grin at his wife before taking his seat. "I hope you like it…"

"I'm sure I will, Booth." She smiled demurely as she felt his loving gaze on her. "Thank you for cooking dinner. You know I love your Bolognese..."

"My pleasure." He glanced at her shyly. "I've been looking forward to this evening...you know, spending time alone with you…ever since we first decided to do this a couple of weeks ago."

"It was an excellent idea to observe Valentine's Day early, Booth, and I'm glad we decided to stay home this evening. It's much more relaxing being here with you than going out to a crowded restaurant somewhere." She smiled at her husband as she buttered her garlic roll. "And we can have as much wine as we want without having to worry about getting home safely."

"And we don't have to worry about the kids and how they'll treat the sitter." Booth chuckled as his wife rolled her eyes. "I mean, rushing back home and then seeing her off and getting the kids settled down…it sometimes adds a lot of stress to an otherwise pleasant evening..."

"Yes, that can be problematic. I think your solution is imminently more practical." Brennan smiled at Booth as she continued, reaching over to pat his hand. "You made all of the arrangements for this evening quite efficiently."

"Things did work out well, didn't they? Christine's going to stay with Jennifer tonight and Mrs. Applegate will take the girls to school tomorrow. Hank's staying with Angela and Hodgins tonight and they'll take him to daycare at the Jeffersonian in the morning. We're gonna keep Michael-Vincent next weekend in return…" Booth twirled a forkful of spaghetti on his plate. "I hope you don't mind that I said we'd do that. I figured they could use a night like this themselves…"

"It seems to be an equitable arrangement. So I guess we can pick up the children tomorrow after school…" Brennan sighed softly. "I was hoping we'd be able to extend our time together a bit longer, but we do have responsibilities, don't we?"

"Actually, I think we're gonna have a few hours longer than what you think." Booth was obviously proud of himself, grinning happily at his surprise. "Someone else is going to pick up Hank and Christine tomorrow afternoon."

"Really? Who's available to do that, Booth? Max isn't feeling well…" Trying to hide her worry about her father, Brennan sipped her wine. "Angela and Hodgins will be busy…"

"Caroline is going to pick them up and feed them dinner. She'll have them home by eight…"

"Caroline Julian? How did you manage that, Booth?" Brennan chuckled as she thought about the venerable attorney managing her two small children.

"Yep. She was happy to do it, seeing how she owes me a favor. I did a background check on her daughter's new boyfriend, you know, in sort of an off the record kind of way..." Booth cringed slightly as he remembered what the report had said, but he shook off that unpleasantness before continuing. "Anyway, I lent her my car seats from the SUV. You should've seen me trying to fit those seats into the backseat of her old Gremlin…" Brennan and Booth both laughed at that image. "She doesn't have any grandkids of her own, and I think she wishes she did, so when I mentioned that we needed someone to pick up the kids tomorrow, she volunteered, and I accepted quickly before she could change her mind."

"I've always known you were a clever man, Booth…" Brennan purred. "I'm going to miss having the children at home this evening, but I'm also glad we'll have the house to ourselves tonight…"

"We can be as rowdy as we want this evening, right?" Booth winked broadly as he clasped Brennan's hand. "And another good thing is that we'll have them home with us for the real Valentine's Day. I imagine Christine will bring us both a giant red paper valentine's card covered with a ton of glitter, and we can take our time to appreciate them instead of rushing off to go out somewhere." He took another bite of spaghetti. "So what did you tell Cam?"

"That I was taking a personal leave day. I considered telling her we were going out of town, but I wasn't sure I could be convincing in the presentation of a falsehood like that…" Brennan chewed her lip slightly as she concentrated on her dinner plate. "I don't have to offer any explanation when I take personal leave, and she didn't ask for one…"

"Um, yeah. I know you don't like to lie." Booth shrugged as he continued. "I took a sick day tomorrow. I've got a ton of them plus all my comp time, so I decided, 'What the hell? Why not?' I guess if anyone asks I'll just tell them I was lovesick…" He winked at his wife as he twitched his eyebrows and licked his lips in a suggestive manner. "...and I needed to spend time with my wife for the cure…"

"Booth, you know there's no such thing as being lovesick…" Brennan gave Booth what he called her stern school teacher look before turning her attention back to her plate. "That's simply ridiculous…"

"I know you don't think it exists, Bones, but if I don't get to spend enough time with you, it starts to wear on me, you know? I get cranky and irritable...more than normal, anyway, and nobody at work needs that shit from me. I need to spend some quality time with my wife every so often in order to operate at my peak efficiency. Anybody who's been around me knows I'm an ugly bastard if I don't get enough attention from you. I'm just thinking of the other agents in my office...and I need you to do your duty to your country by assisting me in taking care of my illness tonight and tomorrow so I'll be cured by the time have to go back to work."

"I see. So you're going to blame being disagreeable at work on a lack of sexual intercourse?" Brennan giggled as she poured another glass of wine for herself. "I think that's a very illogical excuse, especially considering the frequency with which we actually do engage in coitus…"

"Maybe so, but it's the only excuse I've got." Booth smirked as he sipped his wine. "So I think tonight and tomorrow morning you need to help me recharge my 'niceness' batteries as only you can…" He rose from the table and picked up the empty dinner plates. "Do you want some tortoni? I picked some up after Mass this morning…"

"Not right now." Brennan took the plates from Booth and set them in the sink. "Maybe later." She put her arms around him and pulled him close for a passionate kiss. "I think the dirty dishes can wait as well."

"Oh really?" Booth caressed his wife gently, reaching under her tee shirt to stroke her soft skin. "What do you have in mind?" He pulled her close and nibbled her earlobe as she ran her hands down his muscular arms.

She gave him a sly grin as she took his hand in hers. "Close your eyes and come with me…"

"Wait a minute. Where are we going?" Booth pretended to close his eyes tightly as he whined softly. "C'mon, Bones…no fair..."

"No peeking…" She giggled as she led him into the small room adjacent to the kitchen. "Stand right here." Quickly stripping down to her underclothes, she turned to her husband with a big smile. "Okay, Booth…you can look now..."

He opened his eyes and laughed out loud. "Oh, I see...I guess I'm gonna help you with the laundry, right?"

"That's right. I believe we should start a load right away, don't you?" She undid the clasp on her bra and threw it into the empty washer. "What else can we put in there, Booth?"

"Maybe my shirt and my jeans? And how about my socks and my boxers?" He quickly got rid of his clothing and added them to the laundry load.

"Excellent choice. Now all we need to do is start the washer...I think we should use the extra long cycle, don't you?" Brennan started the machine and pulled her husband close. "I love you, Booth…"

He grinned as he picked her up and set her on the rapidly vibrating washing machine. "I love you, too, Bones, and now I'm gonna show you just how much. Happy Valentine's Day…"

Oooooooooo

Aubrey checked out his appearance in Jessica's mirror one more time before leaving her bedroom. He was very tired, but he had to go to work today since Booth was off. He walked into the kitchen to give his girlfriend a kiss. "I gotta go to work, Darlin'..."

Jessica sighed contentedly, pleased with how good she felt as well as how good her boyfriend looked in his suit. "Okay. I had a great time last night with our welcome home celebration…"

He embraced her and kissed her tenderly. "Yeah, me, too. Are you sure we can't have a replay tonight?"

She shook her head slightly as she turned back to the refrigerator. "I wish we could, Superman, but since I was gone for two weeks I need to get caught up with things around here, especially since we're going to be busy the next couple of days. You asked for a day off after Valentine's Day, right?"

"You bet." He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair. "So seven tomorrow evening, okay?"

"Okay. What do you need me to bring?"

"Just yourself. Everything else is ready. We're gonna have a great dinner." Aubrey bent down to kiss Jessica again. "I love you, and I'm so happy we're gonna spend Valentine's Day together."

"Me, too, Superman." She glanced at the clock on the microwave. "You'd better get going. I'll see you tomorrow evening. I love you…" She giggled as he kissed her again.

"I love you, too. Hey, even if you don't wanna come over tonight, do you think you could send me some pictures? You know what kind I like…" He twitched his eyebrow at her. "I won't show them to anyone else…I promise."

"I'll think about it. Now go on so you're not late." Jessica pretended to scowl as she hustled him out of the kitchen.

One more kiss, and then Aubrey headed toward the front door, turning to back to smile at his beautiful girlfriend. If everything went according to his plan, they'd be able to play out this scene many times over the years. "Bye, Jess. See you soon…"

"Bye, Superman." Jessica closed the door and smiled, thinking of how pleasant it would be able to see her hero off to work over the next thirty years or forty years.


	11. Chapter 11

Brennan's eyes slowly blinked open as the sunlight streamed into the cozy bedroom she shared with Booth. She yawned and stretched before glancing at the clock on the bedside table. 9 AM. Normally, she'd be shocked that she'd stayed in bed so long, but this morning she smiled to herself as she realized that she and her husband hadn't actually spent that much time _sleeping_ in their bed the night before.

Sighing deeply with contentment, she turned to look at her sleeping husband. The stress lines that often creased his face when he was awake had softened while he was sleeping. Brennan had always thought Booth was an incredibly handsome man, but when he was totally relaxed like this, his face took on a boyish quality that she found almost irresistible. She watched him sleep for a few minutes, enjoying the peaceful morning as her husband snored softly next to her. He mumbled softly in his sleep before reaching out to put his arm around his wife.

"Mornin', Bones…" He gave her a sleepy smile as he caressed her cheek. "What time is it?"

"9:15. Did you sleep well?" Brennan giggled as he pulled her closer. "I know you must've been tired…"

"And with good reason, right? You really kept me hopping last night...first the laundry room and then the couch before we ended up here for the rest of the evening...I'm glad I took today off to recuperate from our day of rest." Booth kissed Brennan gently and closed his eyes. "I'm going back to sleep…"

"That's fine. I'm going to go make us some breakfast…"

"Nope. You're gonna stay right here with me. We can eat later…" He wrapped his arms around his wife and gave her a squeeze. "I need you to help me go back to sleep…"

Brennan giggled as she snuggled against her husband. "I'm glad we took today off, too, but I hope you won't find things in disarray when you return to work tomorrow."

"Nah, I left Aubrey in charge for the day, and he knows what he's doing. That guy's gonna be an FBI director some day." Booth chuckled as he pulled Brennan over on top of him. "In fact, I think we need to take off a day like this every few months or so...you know, so we can practice for our retirement, and he can practice running the asylum..."

"An excellent plan, Booth..." Brennan laughed as she quickly straddled Booth and began to stroke her husband's bare chest. "...but I don't want to talk about the future right now. We need to use our time more wisely today…"

Grinning as he massaged her breasts, Booth nodded in agreement. "You're right. Let's get busy..."

Oooooooooo

Agent Aubrey glanced nervously at his watch one more time. It was late in the day, and he'd be getting off work in approximately an hour if everything according to his plans. Much to his relief, there hadn't been any new cases while Booth was gone yesterday, and today there was just a very large pile of paperwork to catch up on. A new case within the next hour would certainly damage his plans for the perfect Valentine's Day dinner and the marriage proposal that was to follow, and he was praying anxiously that nothing would happen within the next few minutes to ruin those plans.

Everything was ready to go. Aubrey couldn't help but smile as he thought about the dinner menu, knowing how pleased Jessica would be with the plump lobster tail he'd impulsively purchased to go with their steaks. He figured it'd take him about 45 minutes to get home, a few minutes to change clothes and straighten things up around his place, and then he'd start putting the finishing touches on dinner. Jessica's gift was wrapped and sitting in his dresser drawer, just waiting to be placed on her hand after dessert. Now all he had to do was get away from work on time.

Glancing at his watch again, he wondered how time could crawl by so slowly. He willed himself to be calm, inhaling deeply. In his line of work, his time was often not his own, but tonight was so important...he couldn't imagine what he'd do if he had to call Jessica to postpone their date. Could he really wait one more day to ask her to marry him? _Jesus...I gotta get home…soon..._

"Hey, Aubrey…" Aubrey's stomach flipped uncomfortably as he saw Booth standing in his office doorway. Puffing out a sigh, he surreptitiously gripped the edge of his desk, hoping to respond appropriately to his boss.

"Do we have a new case, Booth?" _Please say no….please say no..._

"Nope...it's been real quiet around here the last day or two, hasn't it? I guess that just means all hell's gonna break loose over the next week or so." Booth grinned at his flustered partner. "In fact, it's been so quiet that I wondered if you'd like to leave a few minutes early today. You know, to get ready for your big date? I mean, if you're gonna pop the question, you gotta make sure things are just right, don't you…" Booth chuckled as Aubrey tried to hide how nervous he was. "Listen, it's gonna be fine, alright? Anyway, why don't you head for home so you can get control of your nerves...think of it as kind of a thank you for taking over for me yesterday."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks, Booth…" Aubrey wasted no time shutting down his computer and gathering his belongings. "I appreciate it…"

"No problem. So you're out all day tomorrow, right?" Booth watched as Aubrey raced around his office trying to clear things away.

"Yeah…" Aubrey piled some files on his desk before moving towards the door. "Thanks again, Booth. I…" He was interrupted by Booth's phone ringing.

"Booth...really? Great...just great. Where? Yeah, okay. Twenty minutes…" The Special Agent in Charge shook his head at Aubrey as he dropped his phone in his pants pocket. "Well, what do you think about that? Bad news, I'm afraid..."

"Oh, no...we have a case, don't we…" Aubrey thought he just might cry, wishing he'd left five minutes sooner. Gritting his teeth, he nodded. "It's okay, Booth...just let me call Jessica and tell her what's going on…"

"No, we don't have a case. Bones has a flat tire." Laughing at Aubrey's annoyed expression, Booth slapped his colleague on the back. "Go home, have a nice dinner, and get engaged, okay? See you in a couple of days…"

Aubrey smiled broadly as he turned to leave. "Yeah...see you in a couple of days…"

Oooooooooo

Glancing at the clock as he buttoned his navy blue shirt over his dark wash jeans, Aubrey ran through his checklist again. It was 6:15 and the dinner preparations were moving along smoothly. After checking on the progress of the potatoes, he decided it was time to set the table. He pulled some white china from one of the upper cabinets and set it on the table, running his finger along the silver rim of the dinner plates. The plates had been part of his mother's set of wedding china. When he cleared her house after she passed away, he couldn't bear to part with them, so he'd boxed them up and carried them from city to city as he moved from one FBI posting to another. _Maybe it's silly to keep these things...why does a guy like me need such fancy dishes?_ He knew not many men would want to keep a set of old plates, but he had fond memories of the meals his mother had made for special occasions and holidays, all served on her good china. She was the one who had sparked his love of food, and those plates had helped him retain the happy memories of his mother laughing and humming as she bustled around her tiny kitchen.

Shaking off his melancholy reverie, Aubrey set the plates and silverware out on the white linen tablecloth, pausing to make sure the napkins were folded correctly. A crystal vase with a single dark red rose was sitting in the middle of the table, flanked by three silver candlesticks of various heights, each with a creamy white candle waiting to cast a mellow glow across their meal. Satisfied that the table was ready, he started to put the finishing touches on the salad, thinking once again of his mother as he did so. The only regret he had about his relationship with Jessica was that she'd never been able to meet his mother. Aubrey knew they would've become fast friends. He remembered his mother's advice about a failed college romance as he added the dressing to the tossed salad. _Don't ever settle for second best, Jamie...wait until the right one comes along…_ Humming happily to himself as he finished cooking dinner, he knew he'd done just that. The right one had finally come along, and he was going to make sure she didn't want to go anywhere else.

6:45...Jessica would be arriving at Aubrey's apartment any minute. Her gift was hidden in the spice cabinet, waiting for the perfect reveal. He rehearsed his proposal one more time as the steaks and lobster broiled. Even though Jessica wasn't quite as black and white in her thinking as Dr. B, she would still need facts and evidence to convince her that their marriage would be a practical step as well as a romantic one. They'd have enough money for her to finish her degree because they'd only have one rent to pay instead of two. Aubrey didn't care where they lived as long as he could keep Skinner. When Jessica got her degree, if she wanted to move away from the DC area for a career opportunity, he would follow, knowing that he'd be able to transfer to another FBI office easily. She could keep her own last name if she wanted. _Yep...I think all the bases are covered. Oh...there's the doorbell. Here goes nothing…_

He opened the door and smiled with pleasure as he ushered his girlfriend into his apartment. She looked beautiful in her turquoise sweater and dark slacks, and for a minute he almost forgot that his attention was needed elsewhere. The oven timer went off as he took her coat and hung it up on the rack by the door. "The steaks are ready...here, let me help you with your chair." He pulled the steaks and the lobster tail from the oven and got the food ready to bring to the table. "Here we go...and a nice red wine to go with dinner…"

"Everything looks wonderful, James…" Jessica took a bite of her steak and grinned happily. "...and it tastes as good as it looks. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"When I got my first real job with the FBI, I figured out pretty quickly how much it cost to eat out all the time, especially the way I like to eat." Aubrey shrugged as he added a big dollop of sour cream to his potato. "I had some recipes from my mom, and after a lot of practice I learned to make those pretty well, so I branched out to cooking other things. It's cheaper than eating out, and I like to experiment with different combinations of stuff." Dipping a piece of lobster into some melted butter, he smiled across the table at his girlfriend. "You're a good cook, too. I love your fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, and that goulash...wow! Amazing stuff!"

Jessica grinned at his compliment. "Well, I guess it's kind of expected that women know how to cook, but I have to say, Aubrey...I think a man who can cook like this is very sexy…"

"Really? So you just love me for my home cooking? That's kind of disappointing…" Aubrey smirked as he sipped his wine. "I thought it was because I was such a great lover."

"Well, there is that...but my grandmother used to have a plaque in her kitchen that said ' _Kissing don't last...cooking do'._ Since she and my grandfather were married over 50 years, I thought she must know about those things." Jessica giggled as Aubrey narrowed his eyes in a pretend glare. "However, you seem to have both aspects of a good relationship down pat, so I guess that means you're just an exceptional man…"

"If you say so. At least I hope I proved it with our dinner...and maybe I can prove the other part later." He winked at Jessica as she ate another bite of steak. "What do you think? Want some of that proof after dinner?"

"I think we might be able to arrange some time to test your theory, although it seems that I did forget to bring my pajamas with me this evening." Jessica wore a sultry smile as she ate the last bit of her potato. "I hope that's not a problem…"

"It's definitely not a problem for me…", Aubrey said, laughing as he began to clear away some of the dishes. "Would you like some dessert first?" He pulled the cheesecake out of the refrigerator. "It's your favorite...white chocolate and lemon…"

"Ooh...that sounds good. Yes, go ahead and cut me a small piece." Watching Aubrey out of the corner of her eye to make sure he couldn't see what she was doing, Jessica put a small gift wrapped box next to his wine glass, smiling as she anticipated his surprise. She turned to sip her wine, and didn't see her boyfriend get the small box out of the spice cabinet and put it in his pocket.

Aubrey brought the dessert plates to the table and sat down. "Here we go...oh, what's this?" Aubrey picked up the box and inspected it carefully. "Is this for me?"

"Of course. It's your Valentine's Day gift from me." Jessica giggled at Aubrey's suspicious expression. "Go ahead and open it. It won't hurt you, I promise…"

He tore the red paper from the small box and lifted the lid. "Wow, Jessie...this is so cool." He lifted a silver tie bar out of the box, inspecting it closely. It was intricately engraved with a reclining skeleton. The grinning skull was propped up on a bony arm, and the rest of the skeleton was laid out along the flat surface, stretched out comfortably all the way down to its crossed bony ankles. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I got it at an antique store in Heidelberg. I guess it used to belong to a rich funeral director or somebody like that, but when I saw it, for some reason I thought of you." Seeing his confusion, she continued quickly. "You're always fidgeting with your tie, smoothing it down in front, and I thought a tie bar might help keep it in place...and then when you run your hand over it, maybe you'll think of me, especially since it has bones on it." Hesitating slightly, she ate a small bite of her cheesecake before she spoke again. "And if you really like it, maybe you can wear it on our wedding day. That would mean a lot to me…"

"Our wedding day?" Aubrey sat stunned as he realized what she'd said. "Jessica…I don't know what to say..."

"Oh…" Suddenly embarrassed, Jessica stared at her plate for a few seconds, biting her lip before she began to stammer out an apology. "I'm sorry, James. I guess shouldn't have said anything about us getting married this evening, but I didn't want to wait any longer. I know you said you like things between us the way they are, but I really want to keep you in my life...I don't ever want to let you go. While I was in Germany, I realized how much I love you...more than I've ever loved anyone...and I want you in my life forever...but I realize that may not be what you want from our relationship…" A tear trickled down Jessica's cheek as she lay her crumpled napkin on the table next to her plate. "This is really awkward, isn't it? I'm so sorry that I ruined our evening. I think I'll just go home now, if that's okay with you…"

Shaking his head, Aubrey reached over and put his hand over hers. "No, of course I don't want you to go home. I was just really surprised, that's all. You just caught me off guard, okay? Here, open your gift, and then we'll talk about it...about what we want to do." He shyly held out the small box for Jessica. "I hope you like it…"

Quickly tearing away the silvery paper, Jessica gasped in delighted surprise as she took the dainty ring from its box. "Oh, James...it's beautiful…"

"It's...um...it's your engagement ring...that is, if you want it to be. I was going to propose to you this evening after dinner...you know, get down on one knee and the whole bit, but you beat me to the punch…" He laughed softly as he slipped the narrow diamond studded band onto her ring finger. "So I hope your answer for me is yes, because I know my answer for you is...yes…"

Her eyes shining with tears, Jessica threw her arms around his neck. "Yes, definitely...yes!"

"So we're getting married, right?" Aubrey grinned from ear to ear. "When? Next weekend, right?"

Jessica rolled her eyes as she sipped her wine. "I don't think so, Superman. I think May of next year, when the semester is over. We'll have a simple ceremony and then go on a two week honeymoon to Germany…"

"Germany? Are you taking another class over there? That doesn't sound very romantic to me…" Aubrey pretended to glare at her as he ate a bite of his cheesecake.

"Of course not. I really enjoyed the area, and I know you'll love it there. There's apple strudel on every corner…" Jessica admired her ring as she ate another bite her dessert. "This ring is so perfect…"

"Just like you, Jessica." Aubrey grinned as he sighed in relief. "Easiest proposal I've ever done."

A look of concerned interest crossed Jessica's face. "Just how many times have you proposed to someone, Aubrey?"

"Well, if you count Jennie Halverson in first grade, and Katie Talbot in fifth grade, three times…"

"Third time's the charm isn't, Aubrey?" Jessica giggled as she shook her head at her silly fiance. _Fiance...I really get to call him my fiance…._

"Yep. I'm glad those other girls said no. I definitely got the best end of the deal." _Yeah, I really did..._

"And we're really going to get married, right? No more of that worrying about being like your father and then chickening out on me, right?" Jessica shook her fork at him to make her point. "Because you're nothing like him…"

"We are really gonna get married, Jess. This apple fell really far from that tree, and now I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you…"

"I love you so much, James Aubrey." Jessica smiled broadly as she clasped Aubrey's hand.

"I love you, too, future Mrs. Jessica Aubrey…" He grimaced slightly. "Or is it future Dr. Aubrey? Or future Dr. Warren?"

"Let's worry about that next May. Right now we have other things to worry about, don't we, James?" Jessica got up and put her plate in the sink. "I think we need to get in some practice for our honeymoon."

"Why? It isn't until next May..." Aubrey gave Jessica a teasing smile as he rose and took her in his arms. "But you're right...practice makes perfect. I think we need to get lots of practice in, starting right now…" He kissed her gently and caressed her cheek. "I'm so happy…"

"Me, too, Aubrey...me, too."

* * *

One more chapter to go...


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: this chapter is somewhat longer than the others but my imagination ran amok. I hope you enjoy it..._

* * *

"Where's Aubrey today, Booth?" Brennan took a sip of her tea as she turned slightly in her chair and looked toward the diner's front door. "He usually joins us for lunch about this time."

Booth drained his coffee cup and winked at his wife. "He took a vacation day. I think he and Ms. Warren are probably still recovering from their Valentine's Day celebration."

Shaking her head as she ate a bite of her salad, Brennan sighed. "Why do people invest so much time and energy into such a silly holiday, Booth?" Seeing the goofy grin on her husband's face, she rolled her eyes. "Yes, I enjoyed our own celebration tremendously, but we don't have to wait for a special day to enjoy time together, and we don't have to spend a lot of money on extravagant gifts for each other…"

"Yeah, but I think Aubrey had something really special planned for last night, and the fact that I haven't heard from him yet today makes me think his plan was successful." Booth chuckled at his wife's confusion. "C'mon, Bones...you know what I mean, right?" Slightly exasperated with Brennan's obtuse behavior, Booth sighed in frustration. "Aubrey was going to propose to your redheaded squintern last night…"

"Oh, I see." Brennan paused, gazing out the diner's window as she thought over Booth's statement. "It's my understanding that Agent Aubrey and Ms. Warren have considered marriage for quite some time. Why did he wait for Valentine's Day to propose? It seems like they should have agreed to marry several months ago."

"Well, for one thing, Aubrey wanted to wait until that shitstorm about his dad being arrested was completely over. He said he didn't want Jessica to be caught up in that drama." Booth smiled at Ellie as she refilled his coffee cup. "I think he also had to do some soul searching. For some reason, Aubrey was concerned that he might turn out to be a rotten son of a bitch like his dad…"

"I don't know why he would be fearful about that. He's a good man, Booth. I know you trust him..." Brennan's brow furrowed as she thought about Aubrey. "His father's behavior seems to have had a limited effect on him, other than to make him more determined to do the right thing and to give him an intense desire to enforce the law. He's quite focused on removing the criminal element from society."

Booth nodded as he ate some french fries. "I know that, Bones, and you know that, and I'm pretty sure Ms. Warren knows that, too, but it was something that Aubrey had to work out for himself. He wanted to make sure he wouldn't ever do anything to let Jessica down. He loves her, and he doesn't want to hurt her, so he was worried that he might have to protect her from himself and any possible bad behavior of his that might happen in the future."

"That's not logical, Booth…" Brennan ran her fingers over the rim of her cup. "Aubrey's an intelligent man. He should know that criminal behavior has no genetic component…"

"You're right...but a person's feelings about stuff like that aren't always logical, right? Things would be a lot easier if how we felt was always based on logic, but it doesn't work that way. He probably just needed some reassurance from Jessica. He needed to know for sure that she really thinks he's a good guy, no matter what happens with his dad." Booth studied his plate for a few seconds before continuing. "You know, sometimes I still worry about whether or not I'm gonna fall off the gambling wagon again...if I'm gonna let you down again or not. It's just something us guys do when it comes to the women we love. We want to be Mr. Wonderful for our wives and our girlfriends, and it bothers us if we fail…"

Brennan smiled at her husband as she reached over to clasp his hand. "You're always going to be my Mr. Wonderful, Booth, even if you do somehow fail again. I love you, no matter what. You should know that by now…"

"Yeah, I do know that." Booth paused as he entwined his fingers with Brennan's. "I love you, too…"

She looked into his warm brown eyes and nodded. "I know…"

Oooooooooo

"Good morning, Jessie…" Aubrey grinned as he rolled over in bed and put his arm around his fiancee. _That's right! My fiancee!_ "It's 11 o'clock in the morning and I'm hungry. I think I'm gonna make some breakfast. Do you want some French toast?"

Jessica yawned as she snuggled close to Aubrey. "I don't think so, but I wouldn't mind a French kiss…" She pulled him closer and kissed him passionately. "Are you sure you're hungry?" Caressing the growing bulge in his boxers, she gave him a sultry smile. "I think maybe you're horny instead, right?"

"I'm always horny when I'm around you, but I'm hungry, too." He paused, trying to decide which need was more important at that exact moment. "I guess maybe I'm more horny than I am hungry…" He began to massage Jessica's nude body. "The French toast can probably wait until later…"

Running her hands down his arms, Jessica stopped for a minute to admire her ring once again. "My engagement ring is so pretty. I've never seen anything like it…"

"Hmm...I'm glad." Sighing as he lay on his side, Aubrey caressed Jessica tenderly. "I got it in a little jewelry shop a few blocks over from the diner. It's one of a kind, you know? The guy who owns the shop designed it himself and made it there in his workshop. I'd seen it when I was helping him do a security check up on his store. He said he could design a wedding band to go with it, if you want…"

"I'd like that. What kind of wedding ring do you want, Superman?" Jessica ran her delicate fingers over Aubrey's hand. "Do you have something special in mind?"

"Nah. A plain gold band will be just fine...maybe the gold should be brushed like on your ring, but nothing fancy." Smiling, he took her hand in his. "I can't believe how lucky I am to get to marry you…"

"That's so sweet...but I thought you said you were horny." Jessica laughed as Aubrey rolled over on top of her and took one of her nipples into his mouth. "That's more like it….I guess you're going to get lucky again…"

Oooooooooo

Booth glanced at the time blinking at him from his computer monitor. It was 8 AM on February 16, and Aubrey ought to be in the office any minute. Deciding to play it cool, the Special Agent in Charge thought maybe he'd wait in his office for Aubrey to come by and tell him how things had gone on Valentine's Day instead of hunting him down. _He might be a few minutes late anyway...he probably should've taken today off, too._ However, Booth's curiosity got the best of him. He saw the younger man amble into the break room, so he decided maybe he'd like a cup of coffee as well. Using his Ranger stealth skills, he crept up on his partner as Aubrey stood staring off into space while he stirred some cinnamon into his coffee. "Hey, Aubrey! How's it going?"

Startled and obviously very tired, Aubrey stammered awkwardly as he tried to form a coherent sentence in response. "Um...fine. I'm great...things are great, you know?...things are fine…"

Smirking at Aubrey, Booth nonchalantly poured himself a cup of coffee and hunted for some sugar packets. "Hmm. I thought you took a vacation day yesterday. Why are you still so tired? Didn't you get any rest on your day off?"

"Yeah, some." Aubrey ran his hand over his face as he tried to shake off his drowsiness. "So, did anything exciting happen around here yesterday? Any new cases?"

"Nah, nothing much exciting happened...just getting some of the paperwork ready for when we take the Wilkins case to court." Booth grinned into his cup, not willing to let the matter pass. "What about you? Anything exciting happen at your place yesterday?"

"Only the usual stuff." Smiling to himself, Aubrey chuckled, knowing what Booth was fishing for with all of his questions. "Just another day...you know...eat, sleep, clean the kitchen...stuff like that." He paused to sip his coffee. "By the way, Booth...what are you doing on May 19, 2018?"

"What? How the hell should I know?", Booth grumbled. "That's over a year away…" A smile began to twitch at his lips. "Wait a minute...don't tell me…she said yes, didn't she? Jessica actually said she'd marry you?"

Wearing a silly grin, Aubrey nodded happily. "Yep, she did. We're gonna have a wedding, and I'm gonna need a best man. Are you up for it?"

"Of course, if that's what you want. I'd be honored." Booth shook Aubrey's hand as he continued. "So is the nineteenth a Saturday? Next year? Why are you two gonna wait so long?"

"Yeah...next year." Aubrey shrugged slightly, still a little disappointed about the date Jessica had chosen for their wedding. "I'm not really happy about waiting so long to get married, but Jessica wants to finish that Spring semester first, and then we're gonna go to Europe for a couple of weeks on our honeymoon, so I guess it works better that way. She's gonna see about us getting married in the rotunda part of the Jeffersonian, under the dome, so I guess it'll be in the evening after the museum closes for the day. I called one of my former fraternity brothers to see if he'd do the wedding for us. He's an Episcopal priest in Boston. He said we have to go up there for some pre-marital counseling shit with him, but other than that, he's game. It's gonna be small...nothing fancy, just Jessica's brothers if they want to come and our friends from here in town, and we'll have the reception in that big meeting room in the back of the Founding Fathers." Aubrey smoothed down his tie and then proudly pointed out his new tie bar. "Here's my engagement present…"

"Nice. A skeleton, huh? Very appropriate." Booth grinned happily as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest. "Well, it looks like another bachelor is off the market. I'm glad things worked out so well for you, Aubrey, even if you do have to wait awhile to get married. Congratulations." There was a pause in the conversation as Booth's phone rang. "Booth...where? Yeah, Aubrey's right here. Give us twenty minutes, okay? Yeah, see you then." He put his phone in his pocket before turning to his partner. "Director Stark wants to see us…"

"Shit...I hope it's not about my dad…" Aubrey's shoulders sagged as he leaned against the counter. "That would be awful…"

"Nah...nothing like that. He said something about the new group of agents we're getting in...me and you have to run an orientation or something stupid like that. No big deal, okay? I gotta go get my jacket…"

Aubrey followed Booth to his office, leaning against the doorframe as Booth shut down his computer and pulled on his suit jacket. "Hey, Booth...I just wanted to tell you...thanks for everything, okay? You know, with my dad and all…."

Booth shrugged as he straightened his tie. "Yeah, of course. No big deal, alright? Now let's go see Stark."

Oooooooooo

Jessica stood in front of her locker in the interns' locker room, pulling on her lab coat as she got ready to spend her first day in the lab since her return from Heidelberg. She glanced in the mirror to check her appearance, hoping that she looked professional as she smoothed her hair and brushed a bit of fuzz from her clothes. The movement of her hand caused the diamonds in her new ring to catch the light, giving it an extra sparkle. Jessica giggled as she twisted it slightly on her finger, very pleased with the way it fit, as if it had been made just for her. Now all she had to do was to get used to wearing it. Not having a lot of jewelry, Jessica was still quite conscious of the ring as she ran her left thumb across the underside of her ring finger. She paused a few more seconds to admire her ring before dashing upstairs to the lab so she could begin her work day.

"Good morning, Ms. Warren." Brennan bent over a lab table, studying a skeleton from World War I. "I assume your seminar in Heidelberg was satisfactory…"

"Yes, it was. Thank you for recommending me for the course, Dr. Brennan. The classwork was quite intense, but I learned so much, and I believe I'll be able to apply that knowledge toward my thesis." Jessica took some exam gloves from a box next to the table and pulled them on, pleased at how well they fit over her new ring. "However, it is good to be home…"

"I would imagine so." Brennan smiled to herself as she remembered what Booth had mentioned at lunch the previous day. "I assume that Agent Aubrey was thrilled to see you. It was obvious that he missed you tremendously during your absence..."

"Hey, Jessica…" Angela walked up the steps to the lab platform and smiled at the intern. "How was your trip to Germany?"

"I enjoyed it, and, as I was telling Dr. Brennan, I learned a lot, but I'm glad to be home." Jessica turned to the bones on the table, unsure of how she should announce her engagement. "The frontal bone of this skull seems to have sustained a great deal of damage…"

"That is to be expected, Ms. Warren, since this man was killed in the trenches of a French battlefield…" Seeing that she had unintentionally embarrassed Jessica, Brennan cleared her throat as she changed the subject. "It appears that you've acquired a new piece of jewelry since I saw you last." Brennan pointed to Jessica's left hand. "It seems to be an excellent choice for wearing under exam gloves…"

"Ooh...I want to see…" Angela craned her neck to get a better look. "Take the glove off, Jessica. We can't really see what it looks like…"

Jessica beamed with pleasure as she pulled her gloves off and put them in the trash. She held her hand where Brennan and Angela could see the ring easily. "Aubrey gave it to me for Valentine's Day...it's...it's my engagement ring…he picked it out for me all by himself. I think he did a great job..."

"It's quite lovely, Ms. Warren." Brennan nodded her approval. "It was very practical of Aubrey to choose something that wouldn't be cumbersome under gloves…"

After rolling her eyes as Brennan, Angela smiled happily at Jessica. "Congratulations! That's wonderful! So when's the big day? Tell us all about it…"

"We're planning on May of next year…", Jessica began. "...after the semester is over. May 19 to be exact…"

"Next year?" Angela was obviously surprised. "Why are you waiting so long?"

"Well, the main problem is that my class load this semester is very challenging, and I don't think we'll have time make the arrangements for a wedding this May...and we want to go to Europe on our honeymoon, so Aubrey has to save up his vacation days…and we have to decide where to live..."

"Just a minute, Sweetie…", Angela interrupted. "If the main problem with getting married this May is the time it takes to make arrangements for a wedding…"

"Then Angela can be quite helpful." Brennan chuckled as she saw Jessica's confusion. "She planned my wedding to Booth in a day after the church we were supposed to be married in burned down. I'm sure if you wanted to get married sooner, Angela could assist you, Ms. Warren…"

"Yeah, Jessica..." Angela nodded in agreement. "Piece of cake. Three months is plenty of time to plan a nice wedding, unless you really just want to wait for some other reason. You can get married this year and go to Europe later."

"We really wouldn't have to wait, I suppose..." Jessica studied her ring for a minute, trying to decide what to do. "I mean, my apartment lease is going to run out next month, and I'm going to move in with James anyway." Jessica twisted a strand of hair around her finger as she grimaced slightly. "In fact, I think James was disappointed that we weren't getting married next weekend…but he's already called his friend about doing the wedding next May…"

"Maybe his friend will be available this May, but if not, maybe you can find another date this year when he is available." Angela started making notes on her iPad. "Do you want a big wedding?"

"Oh, no...all we want is a simple ceremony, with between forty or fifty guests. We don't want to spend a lot of money…" Smiling nervously, Jessica giggled as she continued. "We want to have the reception at the Founding Fathers. I thought maybe we could have the actual wedding in the museum's rotunda…"

"Or maybe in one of the smaller ballrooms, where it would be more private. I bet since you work here, they'd give you a great rate on using the room and some chairs." Angela made another note on her tablet. "Now...what kind of dress do you want?"

"I hadn't even thought about that…" Jessica bit her lip as she glanced at Angela's list. "Maybe before we get too much farther, I should call James and see what he says about moving the wedding to this May…."

"That's probably a good idea." Angela saved her list and shut down her tablet. "Let me know what he says, but I think he'll be thrilled…"

"Thanks." Jessica pulled her phone out of her pocket and stepped away from Brennan and Angela to make the call. They watched with interest as the intern's smile grew wider while she talked to her fiance. Soon she was practically jumping up and down as she chattered excitedly. "Yes...okay. Call Rodney and make sure he can be here. I love you, too." Jessica was beaming as she turned back to her co-workers. "Aubrey thinks it's a great idea, but do you really have time to help me, Angela? I know you're busy…"

"No problem, Sweetie. Consider it my wedding gift to you." Angela grinned as she nodded toward the skeleton laid out on the table. "You probably should get back to work now, but we'll talk at lunch, okay?"

"That would be wonderful! Thank you so much!" Jessica pulled on some more exam gloves and turned back to the skeleton. "Based on the damage to the frontal bone, Dr. Brennan, I'd say our unknown was hit in the head with the butt of a rifle and then shot at point blank range…"

Angela shook her head as she left the exam platform. Only a truly dedicated forensic anthropologist could go from discussing wedding plans to fatal skull damage so easily…

Oooooooooo

After a whirlwind of preparations, Aubrey and Jessica's wedding was set for the afternoon of May 20, 2017. One of the museum's conference rooms had been festooned with white, navy, and pale pink satin streamers, and rows of white chairs sat facing a small table set up as a modest altar. The white tablecloth was accented with navy and pale pink satin ribbon, with pale pink roses in crystal vases sitting on either side of a small gold table cross. Gold candle stands flanked the table. Angela came into the room to light the candles as a string quartet began to play a medley of tunes. Guests seated themselves, quietly chatting as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Aubrey and Booth, both dressed in their best navy blue suits, pale blue shirts and blue striped ties, stood off to one side with Aubrey's friend Rodney, who was going to officiate. Booth shook his head as he watched the guests arrive. "Well, Father Rodney, I guess it's a good thing we had the bachelor party Thursday night so we'd be recovered by today. I tell you what, Rodney...I've never met a priest who could drink me under the table like you did…"

"I learned everything I know about drinking from James. We had some pretty wild parties at the Kappa Rho house, didn't we?" Rodney laughed as he slapped his friend on the back.

"Yeah, we did. Do you have the ring, Booth?" Aubrey stuck his finger in his shirt collar and pulled on it nervously before smoothing his tie and rearranging his skeleton tie clip. "I don't want to forget that."

"Relax. It's here in my pocket." Booth grinned as he put his hand on Aubrey's shoulder. "Ready, Buddy?"

"Yeah…" Aubrey grinned happily. "I'm so glad we decided to do this now…"

"Me, too." Rodney nodded to the empty space in front of the altar table. "I guess we'd better go…"

The men stood in front of the altar table, facing the back of the room as the quartet began to play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." Brennan started down the aisle, dressed in a dark blue silk dress and carrying a small bouquet of pink roses. She smiled at her husband, who winked in return as she stood on the opposite end of the table from him.

"Oh, my God...wow…" Aubrey gasped audibly when he saw Jessica walking down the aisle. Her strapless dress was made of ivory satin with a blush pink tulle overlay on the bodice and full, gathered floor length skirt, which was belted with an ivory satin sash enhanced with pale pink beads. Her long red hair hung in loose curls down her back, caught up on one side with an ornate hair comb she'd borrowed from Brennan. Carrying a bouquet of pale pink roses tied with navy ribbon, she smiled demurely under her fiance's appreciative gaze as she met him at the altar.

Father Rodney asked the couple to join hands as he began the service. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two hearts together into one. James and Jessica are blessed by your presence as they make their wedding vows to each other. Let us pray…Heavenly Father, bless these Your children as they come before You today to pledge themselves to each other. We pray that You give them every possible joy and happiness…"

After a scripture reading from 2 Corinthians and a short homily on the power of love, Rodney addressed Aubrey and Jessica. "Now for your vows to each other. Do you, James, take Jessica to be your wife? Will you promise to love her and cherish her always, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?"

Exhaling slowly, Aubrey looked into Jessica's eyes and smiled. "I will…"

"Will you, Jessica, take James to be your husband? Do you promise to love him and cherish him always, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?"

Jessica brushed away a single tear of happiness as she smiled back at Aubrey. "I will…"

After blessing the rings, Rodney looked at Aubrey and Jessica. "Please repeat after me: with this ring, I pledge my love to you forever…"

The rings having been exchanged, the couple turned back to Rodney as he made the sign of the cross over them. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. May the Lord richly bless both of you as you live your lives together. James...you may kiss your bride."

The guests applauded happily as the couple exchanged their first kiss as a married couple and then accepted congratulations from their friends. Brennan moved to stand by her husband as she watched Aubrey and Jessica greeting their guests. "I hope they're as happy as we are, Booth…"

"I don't know, Bones…that's a tall order." He chuckled at his wife's confusion over his statement. "I don't know if any man can ever be as happy as I am...I'm married to the most wonderful woman in the world."

Smiling, she looped her arm through his. "I love you, too, Booth."

Aubrey sighed happily as he watched Jessica talk with Karen Delfs and her date, Agent Art Hanson. _I'm a lucky, lucky man...who'd ever think a guy like me would end up with a wonderful woman like Jessica…"_

She turned to Aubrey and smiled, walking over to where he stood. "I'm so happy, James...I love you so much…and I get to be married to my best friend."

"I love you, too, Jessica..." He took her hand in his and kissed her gently. "...and I always will."

* * *

 _A/N: In the interest of accuracy, I should mention that an Episcopal wedding ceremony, while beautiful, is quite a bit longer than presented here. I shortened it in the interest of the story._

 _This is the final chapter of my story. I hope you enjoyed it._

 _Even as our favorite show comes to a close, I'm still planning to write more Bones fan fiction, as are several other authors. I hope you'll continue to check the Bones fan fiction site from time to time to see what's new. Thanks. Laura_


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